Container Conveying Device with Movable Supports for High-Speed Inspection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing article conveying systems face challenges in accurately measuring containers at high speeds due to frictional forces and positional inaccuracies, leading to potential swaying and prolonged inspection times.

Innovation Solution

An article conveying device with movable contact support portions that maintain the article's posture during conveyance and separate at the inspection position, utilizing elastic members and drive units to adjust and control the interval between support portions, allowing high-speed conveyance and accurate positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the container is conveyed at high speed by the rotating disc, then productivity is improved, but the container violently sways inside the recess portion due to gap, causing measurement inaccuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconveyance speedVSAvoidmeasurement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The support portions are designed to be movable relative to each other, allowing the system to dynamically adjust its configuration. During high-speed conveyance, the support portions maintain contact with the container to prevent swaying. At the measurement position, they separate to eliminate interference, enabling accurate measurement while maintaining high conveyance speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The support structure is divided into multiple independent support portions that can move separately. This segmentation allows different parts of the support system to perform different functions at different locations along the conveyance path, resolving the conflict between high-speed stability and measurement accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If the recess portion dimension is made larger than the container dimension to allow stopping, then measurement is possible, but the container sways violently at high speed due to the gap

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement capabilityVSAvoidcontainer stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than using a fixed large recess that causes swaying, the invention employs movable support portions that dynamically adjust their position. They contact the container during conveyance to prevent swaying, then separate at the measurement position to eliminate interference, maintaining both stability and measurement capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Measurement precision

If the clamp device is installed on the measuring cell to hold the container, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the container position control immediately after stopping is inaccurate and the container may contact the conveying track

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement accuracyVSAvoidposition control accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The support portions are extracted from the measuring cell structure and positioned separately along the conveyance path. This separation allows the support portions to be removed from the measurement zone before the container reaches the measuring cell, eliminating the risk of contact interference while maintaining position control during conveyance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 device enables accurate inspection of articles at high speeds by maintaining posture and preventing interference, thereby shortening inspection time and reducing the need for multiple conveying member types.

Implementation Method 1

an elastic member installed in a first opening window formed in the first conveying member and a second opening window formed in the second conveying member, configured to transmit power to the second conveying member from the first conveying member, and elastically deformable when the first conveying member and the second conveying member move relative to each other

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4332520B1Article conveying device
Publication Date: 2025.08.06 ANRITSU CORP
  • EP4332520B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4332520B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4332520B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A container conveying device (2) includes a contact support portion (4A) which comes into contact with one side surface (20a) of a container (20), a star wheel (4), a contact support portion (5A) which comes into contact with the other side surface (20b) of the container (20), and a holding wheel (5) provided to be relatively rotatable with respect to the star wheel (4). When the container (20) is not located at a container inspection position (P2), the container conveying device (2) conveys the container (20) while maintaining a posture of the container (20) by bringing the contact support portion (4A) into contact with the container (20), and when the container (20) is located at the container inspection position (P2), the container conveying device (2) separates the contact support portion (4A) which comes into contact with the surface of the container. The container is released from the contact support portion (4A, 5A) at the container inspection position (P2) while the star wheel is paused.