Conductive Plastic Trays for Electrostatic Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rod-shaped products often remain in trays during or after emptying due to electrostatic charges formed in plastic trays, which are not completely emptied by existing tray emptying devices, especially in dry environments, leading to inefficiencies in automated production processes.
Innovation Solution
Trays made of electrically conductive plastic, such as intrinsically conductive polymers, dissipate charges, and a tray emptying device with a charge-dissipating element connected to a grounded machine base frame ensures complete discharge of electrostatic charges, preventing product adhesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If plastic trays are used for storing rod-shaped products, then the trays are stable and light, but electrostatic charges form that prevent complete emptying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrical conductivity parameter of the tray material from insulating (conventional plastic) to conductive (plastic with metal fibers or particles). This parameter change allows electrostatic charges to be dissipated, preventing product adhesion and enabling complete emptying while maintaining tray stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by incorporating metal fibers or particles into the plastic matrix. This creates a composite tray material that combines the stability and lightness of plastic with the charge-dissipating properties of conductive metals, resolving the contradiction between stability and emptying completeness.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional plastic trays are used, then manufacturing is simple and inexpensive, but manual checking and removal of remaining products is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the electrical conductivity parameter of the tray material to enable automated emptying. The conductive plastic trays allow for complete product discharge without manual intervention, increasing automation extent while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through conventional molding processes adapted for conductive materials.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If friction occurs during filling and transport, then electrostatic charge builds up in plastic trays, but conductive trays dissipate charge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrical conductivity parameter of the tray material from insulating to conductive. This allows electrostatic charges generated by friction during filling and transport to be dissipated, preventing product adhesion and ensuring reliable complete emptying.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful electrostatic charge accumulation into a beneficial charge-dissipating mechanism. By making the trays conductive, the friction-generated charges are quickly dissipated rather than accumulated, transforming the harmful effect into a neutral or beneficial one that enables complete emptying.
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 use of electrically conductive trays and charge-dissipating elements in the tray emptying device ensures that trays are completely emptied, reducing manual intervention and production costs while maintaining tray stability and safety during transport.
Implementation Method 1
Trays made of electrically conductive plastic, such as intrinsically conductive polymers, dissipate charges
Implementation Method 2
a tray emptying device with a charge-dissipating element connected to a grounded machine base frame ensures complete discharge of electrostatic charges
Data Source
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AI summary
A trestle (1) for receiving rod-shaped products of the tobacco processing industry, comprising a trestle body (2) formed by a rear wall (6), two side walls (3, 4) arranged at least substantially parallel and spaced apart from each other, and a bottom wall (5), forming a receiving space (7) for the products that is open at the front and top, wherein the trestle (1) can be designed as a shaft trestle, is at least partially made of electrically conductive plastic. The use of electrically conductive plastic as the trestle material allows any charge generated during the transport process to be dissipated directly.For this purpose, in a trestle emptying device, at least one device selected from the feed device, emptying station, removal device and transfer device is provided with at least one charge-discharging element which is designed and configured to establish contact between the trestle (1) and the grounded machine base frame.