Adjustable Workpiece Magazine Rails for Fast Reconfiguration

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing recording magazines for workpieces require significant effort and time to convert between different workpiece geometries and dimensions, and they pose challenges in accurately determining the center location of workpieces for robotic handling.

Innovation Solution

A recording magazine design featuring adjustable rod-shaped boundary elements mounted on assembly rails, allowing for independent positioning and reconfiguration without the need for numerous insert pins, thereby simplifying the conversion process and facilitating accurate workpiece center determination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional receiving magazines with numerous insert pins are used to accommodate different workpiece geometries, then adaptability to various workpiece dimensions is achieved, but the conversion time and effort required to reconfigure the magazine increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to workpiece geometriesVSAvoidconversion time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving magazine is segmented into modular components: a base plate with mounting rails and independently adjustable rod-shaped boundary elements. These boundary elements can be individually repositioned along the mounting rails to create different storage position configurations, enabling rapid adaptation to various workpiece geometries without reconfiguring the entire magazine structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The rod-shaped boundary elements are designed to be dynamically adjustable along the mounting rails, allowing their positions to be changed quickly to accommodate different workpiece dimensions. This dynamic reconfigurability enables the magazine to adapt to various workpiece geometries without requiring time-consuming manual reassembly of numerous insert pins.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If traditional receiving magazines with numerous insert pins are used to define storage positions, then geometric determination of workpiece locations is achieved, but the complexity of the magazine structure and the number of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegeometric determination precisionVSAvoidmagazine structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rod-shaped boundary elements serve multiple functions: they define the geometric boundaries of storage positions, provide reference points for workpiece placement, and act as adjustable stops. This multi-functionality reduces the need for numerous separate insert pins while maintaining precise geometric determination of workpiece locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the essential function of defining storage position boundaries from a complex array of numerous insert pins and consolidates it into a smaller number of rod-shaped boundary elements that can be independently positioned on mounting rails, thereby reducing structural complexity while preserving geometric determination precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Manufacturing precision

If numerous insert pins are used to configure storage positions in the magazine, then accurate workpiece positioning is achieved, but the ease of operation and reconfiguration process deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworkpiece positioning accuracyVSAvoidreconfiguration ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rod-shaped boundary elements are designed for dynamic adjustment along the mounting rails, allowing operators to quickly reposition them to define new storage positions. This dynamic capability maintains accurate workpiece positioning while dramatically improving the ease of reconfiguration compared to fixed or difficult-to-adjust insert pin systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Manufacturing precision

If the magazine is designed with fixed storage positions for specific workpiece geometries, then manufacturing precision for particular workpiece types is improved, but adaptability to different workpiece dimensions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworkpiece positioning accuracyVSAvoidadaptability to workpiece dimensions
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The rod-shaped boundary elements can be dynamically repositioned along the mounting rails to accommodate different workpiece dimensions while maintaining precise positioning accuracy. This dynamic adjustability allows the magazine to adapt to various workpiece geometries without sacrificing the manufacturing precision achieved through defined storage positions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The mounting rails and rod-shaped boundary elements create a universal configuration system that can define precise storage positions for multiple different workpiece types and dimensions, replacing the need for dedicated fixed configurations for each workpiece geometry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4523845A1Storage magazine for workpieces
Publication Date: 2025.03.19 LORENSCHEIT THOMAS
  • EP4523845A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4523845A1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP4523845A1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

A receiving magazine (1) for holding a large number of workpieces (15, 16, 17, 18) in a workpiece machining process is disclosed. On a flat storage surface (4) of the receiving magazine (1), a first pair of mounting rails (2) extending along a first direction (x-direction) and a second pair of mounting rails (3) extending along a second direction (y-direction) perpendicular to the first direction are mounted. First strip- or rod-shaped limiting elements (5) are positionally displaceable and can be fixed to the mounting rails (2) of the first pair with their longitudinal direction extending in the second direction (y-direction). Second strip- or rod-shaped limiting elements (7) are positionally displaceable and can be fixed to the mounting rails (3) of the second pair with their longitudinal direction extending in the first direction (x-direction).The mounting rails (2) of the first pair, the mounting rails (3) of the second pair, the first limiting elements (5) and the second limiting elements (7) are designed and coordinated in such a way that, regardless of the arrangement and positioning of the first limiting elements (5) and the second limiting elements (7) on the respective pair of mounting rails (2, 3), the respective other limiting elements (7, 5) on the respective pair of mounting rails (3, 2) can be arranged and fixed.