Boxing Machine Loader with Sliding Body and Vertical Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boxing machines lack versatility and are limited to specific product and box sizes, requiring different machines for varying sizes, due to the inflexibility of rotary loaders and pushers.
Innovation Solution
A boxing machine design featuring a loader with a sliding body and adjustable base plate, supported by a vertical guide, allowing horizontal and vertical translation, and a dual picking head system with suction cups and articulated arms to adapt to different product sizes and arrangements, eliminating the need for rotary loaders and pushers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rotary loader with fixed housings is used, then the machine structure is simple, but the machine cannot adapt to different product and box sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing the fixed rotary loader with a mobile loader that can translate horizontally and vertically. The loader body slides along a horizontal guide, and the support slides along a vertical guide, allowing the base plate to be repositioned to accommodate different product and box sizes. This dynamic reconfigurability resolves the contradiction between adaptability and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The loader is segmented into multiple independent components: a body, a support, and a base plate. The body and support can slide independently along guides, and the base plate can be adjusted relative to the support. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while collectively providing adaptability to different sizes without excessive overall complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a pusher with comb-shaped prongs is used, then products can be pushed from the rotary loader, but the machine cannot adapt to different product arrangements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the pusher mechanism entirely. Instead of using a pusher with comb-shaped prongs to move products, the mobile loader itself translates to position the products directly in the boxing area. This removal of the pusher simplifies the device while maintaining the ability to handle different product arrangements through the loader's translational movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile loader serves multiple functions: it receives products from the inlet conveyor, positions them in the boxing area, and can be reconfigured for different product sizes and arrangements. This multi-functionality replaces the need for separate pusher mechanisms and makes the machine adaptable to various configurations without increasing complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the loader body is fixed, then the machine structure is stable, but the base plate cannot be adjusted to different dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The loader body is made dynamic by enabling it to slide horizontally along a guide, and the support to slide vertically along the body. This controlled mobility allows the base plate to be positioned at different locations and orientations to match different package dimensions, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and dimensional adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positional parameters of the loader components rather than altering the base plate dimensions directly. By sliding the body along the horizontal guide and the support along the vertical guide, the system adjusts its configuration parameters to accommodate different base plate dimensions, maintaining structural stability while achieving adaptability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple machines are used for different product sizes, then each machine is optimized for its specific task, but the overall system requires more equipment and space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal boxing machine that can handle various product sizes through the mobile loader and dual picking head system. The loader can be reconfigured for different product dimensions, and the picking heads can adapt their positioning and suction cup arrangements. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple dedicated machines, reducing equipment quantity while maintaining optimization for different tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic reconfigurability of the loader and picking head system allows a single machine to adapt to different product sizes and arrangements. The mobile loader translates to different positions, and the picking heads can be repositioned and reconfigured, enabling one machine to perform the functions previously requiring multiple fixed machines, thereby reducing the total number of machines needed.
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
Enables the machine to adapt to various product sizes and arrangements, increasing versatility, efficiency, and reliability by allowing the same machine to handle different sizes of products, boxes, and lids, reducing the need for multiple machines.
Implementation Method 1
The picking head (206) is provided with suction cups in order to pick the precut piece (B) from the transfer device (208)
Data Source
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AI summary
A boxing machine (1) comprises: an inlet conveyor (2), a loader (4), a first picking head (3) to pick the products from the inlet conveyor (2) and position said products in the loader (4), and a second picking head (5) to pick the products from the loader (4) and position said products in a box to form a package. The loader (4) comprises: a body (40) slidingly mounted in horizontal direction in a horizontal guide (10), a support (42) slidingly mounted in vertical direction in the body (4), a base plate (43) mounted on the support (42) and suitable for receiving said products to be boxed, a fixed edge (46) fixed to the support (42), and a mobile edge (47) movably connected to the fixed edge (46).