Buffer Device With Independently Driven Conveyor Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging systems face challenges in efficiently feeding products from one process to another with varying conveying speeds and arrangements, as they require adaptable settings to accommodate different product sizes and patterns, and existing solutions do not effectively manage variable setting patterns or gaps in product streams.
Innovation Solution
A method and device utilizing a buffer device with a closed conveyor path and independently driven conveyor units, allowing for variable setting patterns represented by matrices, where positions can have gaps, enabling precise control and repositioning of products to match the requirements of subsequent processes, and a gripping device for moving and rearranging products to form continuous streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate machines or modules are provided for each process with fixed conveying speeds and arrangements, then each process can be optimized for its specific requirements, but the system cannot adapt to variable product sizes and patterns, requiring multiple dedicated devices
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor units are designed with independently controllable drives that allow dynamic adjustment of conveying speeds and positions. Each conveyor unit can be individually accelerated, decelerated, or stopped to accommodate variable product patterns, transforming a static conveyor system into a dynamic one that adapts to different packaging requirements without requiring separate dedicated machines
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor line is divided into multiple independently controllable conveyor units rather than a single continuous conveyor. This segmentation allows each unit to be controlled separately, enabling the system to handle variable setting patterns by adjusting individual units' speeds and positions, thereby providing adaptability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
2Manufacturing precision
If conveyor units are provided in number and arrangement according to variable first placement patterns, then products can be accurately positioned for different processes, but the control system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors and control mechanisms that detect the actual positions of products on conveyor units. This feedback information is used to adjust the conveying speeds and positions of individual units in real-time, ensuring accurate product positioning according to variable placement patterns while automating the control process to manage system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The control system pre-calculates and prepares the required conveyor unit configurations based on the known variable placement patterns before products arrive. This preliminary action allows the system to accurately position products for different processes without requiring complex real-time decision-making, simplifying the control architecture
3Productivity
If a buffer device with independently driven conveyor units is used to handle variable setting patterns, then product transfer efficiency improves, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer device employs independently driven conveyor units with variable speeds, allowing the system to dynamically adjust to different product arrival rates and transfer requirements. This dynamic capability increases product transfer efficiency by preventing bottlenecks and idle time, while the modular independent drive units allow the complexity to be distributed and managed separately
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer device with independently controllable conveyor units serves multiple functions: it acts as a buffer for products arriving at different rates, positions products according to variable patterns, and transfers products to different processes. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate devices into a single universal buffer device, improving productivity without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~)2(c)
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and a device for feeding products (2) from a first process to a second process in a packaging plant, wherein a buffer device (3) is provided between the first process and the second process, wherein the buffer device (3) has a closed conveying section (32) with an acceptance position (30) for accepting products (2) from the first process and with a transfer position (31) for transferring products (2) to the second process and a plurality of conveying units (33) which can be driven at least in sections independently of one another along the conveying section (32), and wherein the products (2) from the first process are provided in each case in groups with a variable first setting pattern, comprising: a) detecting of the first setting pattern of a group (21, 23) of products (2) to be moved, b) providing of a number of conveying units (33) which are arranged in the detected first setting pattern at the transfer position (30) of the buffer device (3), and c) joint moving of the group (21, 23) of products with the detected setting pattern into the conveying units (33) of the buffer device (3) which are provided at the transfer position (30).