Bin Tipper Cam Track Gripper Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bin tippers deform collection bins due to their fixed shape and weak material, struggle with varying bin sizes, require disproportionate power for lifting and gripping, and have inefficient cane geometry that increases safety enclosures and hopper design constraints.
Innovation Solution
A bin tipper design featuring a vertical support column, cam track, and gripper assembly with swivel arms and a lead screw system that eliminates the need for a chain, allowing for efficient lifting and inversion of collection bins with reduced power requirements and improved gripping efficiency across various bin sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional fixed-shape clamping arms are used to grip the collection bin, then the gripping mechanism is simple in structure, but the collection bin is deformed due to weak material and fixed arm shape
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper arms are made dynamically adjustable through telescopic sections that can extend and retract. This allows the arms to adapt their shape and size to match different bin dimensions, distributing gripping forces more evenly across the bin surface to prevent deformation while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripper arms can change their physical parameters (length, position) through telescopic adjustment mechanisms. This parameter variability allows the arms to optimize their gripping configuration for different bin sizes and shapes, reducing localized stress that causes bin deformation.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional fixed-shape clamping arms are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the arms cannot handle a full range of bin sizes and types without add-ons
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic gripper arms provide dynamic adaptability to handle various bin sizes and types without requiring different add-on components. The arms can extend or retract to match the specific dimensions of each bin, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving universal compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic gripper design creates a universal gripping mechanism that can accommodate multiple bin sizes and types with a single device configuration, eliminating the need for various add-ons or specialized components for different bin varieties.
3Device complexity
If conventional clamping arms with limited contact area are used, then the structure is simple, but gripping efficiency is poor requiring higher force
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic sections allow the gripper arms to dynamically adjust their contact area with the bin surface. By extending or retracting specific sections, the arms can increase the distribution of contact points, improving gripping efficiency and reducing the force required per unit area.
4Device complexity
If a cane with arch geometry is used to lift and tip the bin, then the lifting mechanism is simple, but the downward portion induces very high loads on the receiving hopper
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting and tipping functions are segmented into separate operational phases. The lift carriage vertically elevates the bin to a predetermined height, then the tip mechanism independently performs the tipping action. This segmentation allows the hopper to receive material from a more favorable position, reducing impact loads compared to the continuous arch geometry.
5Device complexity
If the arch requires extra installation space, then the lifting function is achieved, but the volume of safety enclosures increases encroaching on sidewalks
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the lifting function (vertical carriage movement) from the tipping function (independent tip mechanism), the system eliminates the need for a large horizontal arch structure. This segmentation compactsthe overall mechanism, reducing the volume of safety enclosures and minimizing encroachment on sidewalks while maintaining all necessary lifting and tipping functions.
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 reduces bin deformation, equalizes power requirements for lifting and gripping, and minimizes the size of safety enclosures and hopper design constraints, enhancing operational efficiency and versatility.
Implementation Method 1
a lead screw system that eliminates the need for a chain, allowing for efficient lifting and inversion of collection bins
Implementation Method 2
a cam track adjacent to the vertical support column... A first end of the gripper mount is pivotally mounted to the structural member and a second end of the gripper mount includes a cam follower extending therefrom. The cam follower configured to move within the proximal portion and the distal portion of the cam track.
Data Source
AI summary
A bin tipper includes a vertical support column, a cam track adjacent to the vertical support column, a structural member mounted to and configured to translate along the vertical support column, and a gripper assembly including a gripper mount having gripper arms mounted thereon that are configured to receive and hold a collection bin. The cam track includes a proximal portion parallel to the vertical support column and a distal portion provided at an angle with respect to the vertical support column. A first end of the gripper mount is pivotally mounted to the structural member and a second end of the gripper mount includes a cam follower extending therefrom that is configured to move within the proximal and distal portions of the cam track. The gripper assembly lifts and inverts the collection bin based on a position of the cam follower of the gripper mount within the cam track.