Carrousel Conveyor Stabilizing Heads for Container Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional carrousel conveyor devices in automatic packaging machines are cumbersome, prone to contamination, and difficult to maintain, limiting their use in applications like pharmaceuticals and food due to their complex structure and elevated position, which hinders operator visibility and increases maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A simplified carrousel conveyor design featuring a horizontal support plate with equidistant small plates, actuated by a brushless motor, and stabilizing heads with adjustable height, supported by a cam mechanism, allowing for efficient container orientation and reduced exposure to contamination, with a telescopic spring cover for protection and easy maintenance access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional carrousel conveyor with a raised drum carrying counter-acting heads is used, then container stabilization and orientation are achieved, but the device becomes cumbersome, difficult to maintain, and prone to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the counter-acting heads from the raised drum structure and relocates them to the packaging plane level. The heads are now directly mounted on the support plate rather than being carried by an elevated drum, eliminating the cumbersome drum structure while maintaining the stabilization function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the support plate rotate beneath raised counter-acting heads, the invention inverts the arrangement by placing the counter-acting heads at the same level as the support plate. The heads rotate with the support plate rather than being carried by a separate elevated drum structure.
2Reliability
If the drum is positioned at a raised level above the packaging plane, then container engagement is achieved, but operator visibility and maintenance accessibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the counter-acting heads at the same level as the packaging plane, creating an equipotential arrangement where all components operate at the same height. This eliminates the need for operators to look upward or reach above the packaging plane, improving visibility and accessibility.
3Reliability
If a large horizontal drum is used to support counter-acting heads, then container engagement is achieved, but the conveyor becomes heavier and more cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the large horizontal drum structure entirely and extracts the counter-acting heads to be directly mounted on the support plate. This eliminates the heavy drum while preserving the essential function of container engagement through the counter-acting heads.
4Reliability
If the drum structure is used, then container stabilization is achieved, but contamination from product powders and impurities increases
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the drum structure and directly mounting the counter-acting heads on the support plate, the patent eliminates the enclosed drum space where product powders and impurities could accumulate and later contaminate containers. The simplified open structure reduces contamination risks.
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 new design enhances visibility, reduces contamination risk, and simplifies maintenance, making it suitable for diverse applications while lowering production and maintenance costs, and ensuring effective container handling and labeling.
Implementation Method 1
The counter-acting heads are connected to a cam guide mechanism, situated inside the drum, which allows the heads to raise immediately before reaching the bottle engagement position, and to lower to engage the bottle to be labeled
Implementation Method 2
A brushless motor or a mechanism, in suitable time relation with the support disc rotation, and consequently with each small plate position, modifies the orientation of the small plate
Data Source
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AI summary
A carrousel device (10) for conveying containers includes a rotating support disc (1), which has a plurality of small plates (3), arranged around the circumference and equidistant. The small plates (3) are aimed at carrying, resting thereon, a container (4) toward a work station (100), e.g. a label application station. The containers (4) are fed one by one to the carrousel conveyor device (10) by an inlet conveyor (110), and are received by an outlet conveyor (120), after their passage through the work station (100). The carrousel device (10) includes also, for each small plate (3), a stabilising head (20), situated above the small plate (3) and engaging a container (4) after it had been placed on the small plate (3), to stabilise its position during the transport. The stabilising head (20) is supported by a cap (25), mounted on top of a shaft (30), which extends vertically from the support disc (1), parallel to the axis of the stabilising head (20) and sliding axially to define the stabilising head (20) height in relation with the support disc (1) rotation.