Compact Depalletizing Machine with Vacuum Gripping Head
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional depalletizing machines for glass bottles, tins, and cans are bulky and energy-intensive, making them unsuitable for small-sized bottling or boxing lines and incurring high operating costs due to the need for powerful electric motors to handle heavy loads.
Innovation Solution
A compact depalletizing machine design featuring a lifting platform, an auxiliary movable platform, and a gripping head with a vacuum gripping equipment that can autonomously adjust to grasp rows of products regardless of orientation, reducing the need for precise pallet placement and minimizing energy consumption by using smaller, more efficient motors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional depalletizing machines use a bulk-products storage shelf at high height and transversal pushing blade to move entire layers, then high hourly productivity is achieved, but the machine dimensions become large preventing installation in small-sized bottling lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the bulk-products storage into multiple levels (first bulk-products storage shelf at upper level, second bulk-products storage shelf at lower level) instead of using a single large storage area. This segmentation allows the machine to process products in smaller batches vertically, reducing the horizontal footprint while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from horizontal product movement (transversal pushing blade moving entire layers horizontally) to vertical product movement (lifting platform moving auxiliary platform vertically between upper and lower positions). This dimensional change reduces the machine's horizontal area while preserving its ability to handle products efficiently.
2Productivity
If conventional depalletizing machines use a transversal pushing blade to push entire layers of bottles, then high productivity is achieved, but very powerful electric motors are required resulting in high energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the product handling into smaller units by using a gripping head that grasps individual products or small groups, rather than pushing entire layers at once. This segmentation reduces the force required at any given moment, allowing the use of smaller, more energy-efficient motors while maintaining overall productivity through repeated cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical pushing system (transversal pushing blade requiring high force) with a vacuum-based gripping system. The vacuum gripping equipment uses suction forces to hold and transfer products, which requires significantly less power than mechanically pushing heavy layers of bottles, thereby reducing energy consumption.
3Productivity
If conventional depalletizing machines use a transversal pushing blade, then entire layers can be moved at once, but the blade must be positioned at height slightly greater than bulk-products storage shelf requiring high vertical space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes vertical space more efficiently by implementing a two-level storage system with the auxiliary platform moving vertically between upper and lower positions. The gripping head operates at the upper level to grasp products from the lifting platform, then transfers them to the auxiliary platform which can be positioned at different vertical levels. This approach maintains layer transfer efficiency while reducing the required vertical height compared to having a single high-positioned pushing blade.
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 machine achieves efficient and versatile depalletizing with reduced bulk and energy usage, allowing for installation in smaller lines and lowering operational costs while maintaining high productivity.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum gripping equipment which is located on the side of the auxiliary floating bar
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A depalletizing machine (1) comprising: a rigid supporting framework (2) adapted to be stably rest on the ground; a lifting platform (3) which is adapted to receive resting on it the pallet to be unpacked (100) and is vertically movable on said rigid supporting framework (2), so as to lift the pallet to be unpacked (100) from the ground and to align the upper layer (102) of the pallet with an elevated reference plane (P); an auxiliary movable platform (4) which is dimensioned so as to receive/accommodate a row of products (101) coming from the pallet (100) stationary on the lifting platform (3), and is vertically movable on said rigid supporting framework (2), beside the lifting platform (3), between a loading position in which the auxiliary movable platform (4) is aligned to said reference plane (P) and is able to load/receive a row of products (101), and an unloading position in which the auxiliary movable platform (4) is spaced beneath said reference plane (P) and is able to unload the previously loaded row of products (101); and a gripping head (5) which is provided with a vacuum gripping equipment (6) capable of firmly grasping and holding an entire row of products (101), and is horizontally movable on said reference plane (P) between a first operating position in which the gripping head (5) is placed at the side of the lifting platform (3), substantially vertically aligned to the auxiliary movable platform (4), and a second operating position in which the gripping head (5) is vertically aligned to the lifting platform (3) and arranges said vacuum gripping equipment (6) resting on a lateral row of products (101) of the upper layer (102) of the pallet to be unpacked (100).