Adjustable Transition Curves for Container Transport Jerk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Container transportation systems experience significant lateral jerk due to changes in curvature and acceleration, leading to filling material spillage, particularly in high-throughput container treatment machines, resulting in performance losses and product loss.
Innovation Solution
A device with adjustable transition curve sections in the transport route, allowing for motor-controlled or manual adjustment of curvature to minimize lateral acceleration, using sensor feedback to optimize the trajectory and prevent spillage, and featuring guide railings and multiple adjustment devices for precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high container throughput is achieved, then productivity increases, but lateral jerk causes filling material spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The transport element features radially displaceable container grippers that can dynamically adjust their position during rotation. This allows the gripper to move radially inward or outward to compensate for lateral accelerations and centrifugal forces, maintaining stable container transport even at high speeds and preventing filling material spillage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the radial position parameter of the container gripper during transport. By adjusting the radial displacement of the gripper, the system adapts to varying acceleration conditions, maintaining optimal grip and container stability throughout the transport cycle, thereby preventing spillage while sustaining high throughput.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If radially displaceable container grippers are used, then spillage is reduced, but device complexity and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The radially displaceable gripper mechanism provides dynamic adaptability to handle lateral jerks and maintain container stability. The radial displacement capability allows the gripper to follow the container's motion trajectory more closely, reducing spillage despite the increased mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses simple, replaceable gripper elements that can be easily replaced when worn. This approach reduces maintenance costs by using inexpensive, easily replaceable components rather than complex, expensive mechanisms, making the system more economical despite the added complexity of radial displacement.
3Device complexity
If conventional grippers are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but some container types cannot be gripped
Solution Approach 1:
The radially displaceable gripper design provides universal applicability across different container types. By adjusting the radial position, the same gripper mechanism can effectively grip various container sizes and shapes, including unstable containers like cans, that conventional fixed-position grippers cannot handle.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic radial displacement capability allows the gripper to adapt its position to match different container geometries and stability characteristics. This makes the gripper system versatile enough to handle diverse container types while maintaining relatively simple construction compared to multiple specialized gripper designs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces transverse jerk, preventing filling material spillage and optimizing container transport performance by adapting to various container types and machine performance levels, thereby maximizing throughput without disrupting the transport route.
Implementation Method 1
a change in the curvature of the containers' path of travel often occurs, resulting in a change in the centrifugal forces acting on them
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device and a method for transporting containers, in particular for transporting containers in a transition region between two transport elements which are adjacent in the transport direction. According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a device (1) for transporting containers (2) on a transport path (TS) in a transport direction (A). The device (1) comprises at least one first and one second transport element (TE1, TE2) which are interconnected along the transport path (TS) by a transport path portion (TSA). The transport path portion (TSA) comprises a first and a second transport path portion (TSA1, TSA2), of which at least the first and/or second transport path portion (TSA1, TSA2) is in the form of a partial circle. A third transport path portion (TSA3) is provided along the transport path (TS) between the first and second transport path portion (TSA1, TSA2). According to the invention, the third transport path portion (TSA3) comprises at least one transition curve portion (ÜKA1, ÜKA2, ÜKA3) having an adjustable curved path.