Book Cover Destacker with Vacuum Nozzles

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current book production systems are inefficient in producing books quickly, particularly photo books, as they lack a streamlined process for handling and assembling book covers and blocks.

Innovation Solution

A destacker device and storage system that allows for the separate production and storage of book covers, enabling them to be quickly assembled with book blocks, using vacuum nozzles for precise handling and a shelving system for efficient storage and retrieval of individual book covers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If book covers and book blocks are produced separately and stored, then production flexibility and speed are improved, but device complexity and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebook production rateVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the book production process into separate modules: book cover production unit, book block production unit, storage system with shelving, and bookbinding unit. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently and be optimized separately, improving overall productivity while managing complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Book covers are produced in advance and stored individually on shelving units before being needed for assembly. This preliminary action allows the system to prepare components ahead of time, reducing waiting time during the bookbinding process and increasing production speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If individual book covers are stored on shelving units, then assembly speed is improved, but storage space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly timeVSAvoidstorage space
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The storage system transitions from traditional horizontal stacking to vertical shelving units, utilizing the vertical dimension for storage. Individual book covers are positioned on multiple levels of shelves, maximizing space utilization while enabling quick access and reducing assembly time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Manufacturing precision

If vacuum nozzles are used for handling book covers, then handling precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandling precisionVSAvoidhandling mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Vacuum nozzles are employed in the feed device to grip and transport individual book covers from the shelving units to the bookbinding unit. This pneumatic mechanism provides precise and gentle handling of book covers, ensuring accurate positioning while minimizing mechanical complexity compared to traditional gripper systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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

This approach enables faster book production by allowing book covers to be produced in advance and stored separately, facilitating quicker assembly with book blocks, thus increasing production rate and efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a removal unit for removing and holding a top book cover from a stack of book covers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum suction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP3118013B1Manufacturing system for manufacturing books
Publication Date: 2018.09.19 CEWE STIFTUNG & CO
  • EP3118013B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3118013B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3118013B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a manufacturing system with a destacker for destacking a stack of book covers and dispensing individual book covers. The destacker comprises a removal unit (310) for removing and holding a top book cover from a stack of book covers and a movement unit (311) for moving the removal unit (310) with the removed and held book cover from the stack of book covers to a dispensing location.