Bagging Device with Movable Slider for Compact Package Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sorting conveyors require significant floor space when multiple sorting destinations are needed, as they need to be long to accommodate various discharge chutes, leading to inefficiencies in package handling and storage.
Innovation Solution
A bagging device with slide tracks and a movable slider, actuated by an actuator, that selectively opens and closes bag openings to direct packages into assigned destination bags, allowing for compact sorting and easy bag replacement, controlled by a programmable logic controller for accurate sorting and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a main sorting conveyor is made long to accommodate multiple discharge chutes for various destinations, then the sorting capacity is improved, but the floor space occupied increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the sorting function into two parts: a short main conveyor that moves packages to discharge chutes, and separate movable bagging devices that handle the actual bagging operation. This segmentation allows the main conveyor to be short while still supporting multiple destinations through the movable bagging devices positioned at different locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by using discharge chutes that extend upward from the conveyor level, allowing packages to be directed to bags positioned at different heights and locations. This vertical arrangement enables multiple destinations without requiring a long horizontal conveyor footprint.
2Manufacturing precision
If a movable bagging device with slider and actuator is used to open and close bags selectively, then the sorting precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable bagging device is designed as a universal mechanism that can handle multiple bags and destinations through a single slider-acuator assembly. The same device structure serves multiple functions: opening bags, closing bags, and positioning for different discharge chutes, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite the added motion control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic, movable components (slider and actuator) that can be positioned and repositioned as needed, rather than fixed mechanisms for each destination. This dynamic approach allows a single compact device to serve multiple destinations, reducing the total number of fixed components required in the system.
Data Source
AI summary
A sorting conveyor and bagging device for selectively depositing packages in bags through collapsible openings in the bags themselves or in sleeves protruding from the mouths of bags. Sliders are positioned between the bags at the ends of chutes. Actuators slide the sliders along the slide tracks to selectively open and position the opening to one bag to receive packages from the chute while the opening to the other bag is closed and positioned out of the way.