Doser assemblies, apparatuses including a doser assembly, methods of making the same, and/or methods of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12560468-B2
Application number	US-202318298118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2023
Priority date	Feb 17, 2022
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A doser assembly includes a hopper assembly configured to receive filler material, a vibration transmission assembly coupled to the hopper assembly, and a paddle in a hopper opening that extends through the hopper assembly. The vibration transmission assembly includes a shaft that is configured to rotate around a central rotation axis, an eccentric that is fixed to the shaft and has a center that is radially offset from the central rotation axis, a connecting rod that is pivotably connected to the center of the eccentric, and a bracket that is pivotably connected to the connecting rod. A first end of the paddle is pivotably coupled to the hopper assembly at a paddle pivot joint. The paddle is fixed to the bracket of the vibration transmission assembly separately from the hopper assembly. The vibration transmission assembly is configured to cause the paddle to reciprocatingly pivot around the paddle pivot joint.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A doser assembly, comprising:
a hopper assembly configured to receive filler material, an interior surface of the hopper assembly at least partially defining a hopper opening that extends through the hopper assembly; and a paddle at least partially defining the hopper opening of the hopper assembly, a first end of the paddle pivotably coupled to the hopper assembly at a paddle pivot joint, the paddle configured to vibrate based on reciprocatingly pivoting around the paddle pivot joint to induce movement of the filler material away from the paddle within the hopper opening, wherein the paddle is connected to a drive plate via the paddle pivot joint independently of the hopper assembly, such that
a position of the paddle pivot joint is fixed in relation to the drive plate, and
the paddle is coupled to the hopper assembly through at least the drive plate.

2 . The doser assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the paddle has a first outer surface that at least partially defines the hopper opening.

3 . The doser assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first outer surface defines a concave second end of the paddle that is opposite from the first end that is pivotably coupled to the hopper assembly.

4 . The doser assembly of claim 2 , wherein
the hopper assembly includes a first hopper wall and a second hopper wall that face each other and are spaced apart from each other; a lower surface of the first hopper wall is concave; a lower surface of the second hopper wall is concave;
the lower surface of the first hopper wall is level with the lower surface of the second hopper wall and aligned with the lower surface of the second hopper wall; and
a distal surface of the paddle that is opposite from the paddle pivot joint at the first end of the paddle protrudes downwards in a vertical direction away from the lower surface of the first hopper wall and the lower surface of the second hopper wall by a paddle protrusion distance.

5 . The doser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drive plate is adjustably coupled to the hopper assembly through an adjustable bearing, the adjustable bearing configured to adjust a position of the drive plate in relation to the hopper assembly to adjust a position of the paddle pivot joint in relation to the hopper assembly.

6 . The doser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the paddle has a second end that is opposite from the first end that is pivotably coupled to the hopper assembly, the second end at least partially defining a blade edge that at least partially defines the hopper opening.

7 . The doser assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the doser assembly further includes a hopper chute coupled to the hopper assembly, the hopper chute having a top chute opening and a bottom chute opening, the bottom chute opening being open to the hopper opening of the hopper assembly, the hopper chute configured to direct the filler material into the hopper opening of the hopper assembly, the hopper assembly includes a diverter plate that extends through an interior of the hopper chute such that the hopper chute and the diverter plate collectively define, within the interior of the hopper chute,
a first volume space that is configured to direct a flow of the filler material into the hopper opening via the top chute opening and the bottom chute opening, and
a second volume space that is partitioned from the top chute opening by the diverter plate, such that
the diverter plate at least partially partitions the first volume space and the second volume space from each other, and
the diverter plate isolates the second volume space from the flow of the filler material into the hopper opening via the first volume space.

8 . The doser assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a first level sensor device configured to direct a first sensor beam into a first region of the hopper opening that is proximate to the paddle, to generate first sensor data that is associated with a first level of the filler material in the first region, and a second level sensor device configured to direct a second sensor beam through the second volume space into a second region of the hopper opening that at least partially vertically overlaps the bottom chute opening and is distal from the paddle in relation to the first region, to generate second sensor data that is associated with a second level of the filler material in the second region.

9 . A system, comprising:
the doser assembly of claim 8 ; a filler material distribution system that is configured to convey the filler material from a filler material reservoir to the top chute opening of the doser assembly via the hopper chute; a memory storing a program of instructions; and a processor configured to execute the program of instructions to implement a cascade control of the first level of the filler material and the second level of the filler material in the first region of the hopper opening and the second region of the hopper opening, respectively, the cascade control including
processing the first sensor data generated by the first level sensor device to determine a determined value of the first level of the filler material in the first region,
executing a first proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control loop to generate a first output value indicating a target first level of the filler material in the first region, based on a first process variable that is the determined value of the first level of the filler material and a first setpoint that is a stored first level setpoint value,
processing the second sensor data generated by the second level sensor device to determine a value of the second level of the filler material in the second region,
executing a second PID control loop to generate a second output value that is a control value to control a filler material conveyor system, based on a second process variable that is the determined value of the second level of the filler material and further based on a second setpoint that is the first output value, and
controlling the filler material conveyor system based on the second output value to control at least one of the first level of the filler material in the first region or the second level of the filler material in the second region.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the program of instructions to implement the cascade control such that
the second level of the filler material is caused to be equal to or greater than a threshold second level value, and a variation in the first level of the filler material over time is reduced.

11 . A method of operating a system that includes the doser assembly of claim 8 and a filler material distribution system that is configured to convey the filler material from a filler material reservoir to the top chute opening of the doser assembly via the hopper chute, the method comprising:
processing the first sensor data generated by the first level sensor device to determine a determined value of the first level of the filler material in the first region;
executing a first proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control loop to generate a first output value indicating a target first level of the filler material in the first region, based on a first process variable that is the determined value of the first level of the filler material and a first setpoint that is a stored first level setpoint value;
processing the second sensor data generated by the second level sensor device to determine a value of the second level of the filler material in the second region;
executing a second PID control loop to generate a second output value that is a control value to control the filler material distributi

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Chalkley Jarrod W
• Powell Robert
• Newcomb Christopher R
• Straight Jeremy
• Mcgill Isaac J
• Evans James David
• Mcelhinney Patrick

Classifications

• B65B1/12

  of screw type · CPC title

• G01F11/24 Primary

  for fluent solid material · CPC title

• B65B1/366

  about a horizontal axis of symmetry · CPC title

• G01F11/006

  Details or accessories (general details G01F15/00) · CPC title

• B65B1/08

  by vibratory feeders · CPC title