Adjustable Star Wheel for Automated Handling Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing star wheels on automated handling lines are limited in accommodating various sizes and shapes of articles, requiring frequent changes and maintaining multiple sizes, which is time-consuming and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable star wheel with few moving parts, utilizing rotatable disks and an automated adjustment mechanism with cams to form pockets of varying width and depth, allowing for the accommodation of a virtually unlimited number of article sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional fixed-star-wheel design is used, then the star wheel can maintain simple structure and easy operation, but it can only handle containers of a specific shape and size, requiring frequent changes and maintaining multiple star wheels
Solution Approach 1:
The star wheel incorporates adjustable control surfaces that can dynamically change their position and orientation to accommodate different container shapes and sizes. The control surfaces on rotatable elements can be repositioned to form pockets of varying dimensions, transforming a static structure into an adaptive one that maintains versatility without requiring multiple separate star wheels
Solution Approach 2:
The star wheel is divided into multiple rotatable elements with independently adjustable control surfaces. Each control surface can be positioned separately to define the boundaries of pockets, allowing the system to adapt to different container geometries by segmenting the adjustment control across multiple movable components rather than requiring a complete structure change
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple star wheels of different sizes are maintained to handle various containers, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and inventory management become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The star wheel is designed as a universal device that can handle multiple container types through its adjustable control surfaces. By enabling a single star wheel structure to perform the function of multiple fixed-size star wheels through reconfiguration of its pockets, the system eliminates the need to maintain inventories of different star wheel sizes while preserving adaptability across various container geometries
3Adaptability or versatility
If frequent star wheel changes are made to accommodate different containers, then adaptability is improved, but time consumption and productivity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable control surfaces enable rapid reconfiguration of the star wheel pockets to match different container dimensions. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to adapt to new container types without the time-consuming process of physically changing entire star wheel assemblies, thereby reducing downtime and maintaining continuous productivity
Data Source
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AI summary
A universally adjustable star wheel for conveying articles on an automated handling line is disclosed. In one embodiment, the adjustable star wheel (20) includes rotatable elements (30) that are configured to rotate around a central axis. Each rotatable element has a central axis, a periphery, and at least one control surface (60) for assisting in controlling the article (22) being conveyed. The control surfaces on the rotatable elements are arranged to together form at least one pocket (50) for the article, wherein the pocket has a width and a depth. The angle defining the control surface on at least one rotatable element is different from the angle of another rotatable element to form the depth of at least a portion of the pocket. In this embodiment, the boundaries of the pocket are configured solely by at least partially rotating at least some of the rotatable elements to adjust the location of the control surfaces of the different rotatable elements to form a pocket for the article being conveyed. An automated adjustment mechanism for adjusting a star wheel to accommodate different articles is also disclosed.