Collecting Container Roller Shutter Blocking at Full Fill Level
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Collecting containers often allow users to attempt to insert packages even when they are full, leading to potential damage and inefficient use of space, as stacked packages block the insertion opening and prevent further items from being added despite available space elsewhere in the container.
Innovation Solution
A collecting container with an insertion opening and a removal opening, featuring a receiving device that can switch between states to prevent further objects from being inserted when full, utilizing a filling-level measuring device and blocking mechanism, and a catching device that moves vertically to catch and distribute objects, optimizing space utilization and preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If packages are allowed to stack directly below the insertion flap, then the insertion opening remains accessible, but the space available inside the container is inadequately utilized and no more packages can be filled when the stack reaches the flap
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable receiving device that can switch between at least two operating states. In the first state, the receiving device allows object insertion while blocking access to the storage space. In the second state, it prevents insertion but opens the entrance to the storage space. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction by adapting the device's configuration based on the filling level, thereby optimizing both accessibility and space utilization throughout the container's usage cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the container into distinct functional zones: a receiving device with insertion opening, a storage space, and a filling-level measuring device. The receiving device acts as an intermediate buffer zone that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows the system to manage insertion operations separately from storage capacity, enabling the receiving device to block or allow access based on real-time filling conditions without affecting the overall storage space availability.
2Ease of operation
If the receiving device always allows access to the storage space, then insertion is easy, but objects may become damaged during the insertion procedure when the container is full
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a filling-level measuring device that proactively detects when the storage space has reached its capacity. Based on this detection, the receiving device automatically switches to a blocking state that prevents further insertion attempts. This preliminary anti-action stops potential damage before it can occur by preventing objects from being forced into an already full container, while still maintaining easy insertion operations during normal conditions when the container has available space.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a fixed blocking flap is used to prevent access when full, then object damage is prevented, but the device complexity increases and space utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving device serves multiple functions: it acts as both an insertion guide and a dynamic access controller. By integrating the blocking function into the receiving device itself rather than adding a separate fixed flap mechanism, the patent reduces overall device complexity. The receiving device's ability to switch between open and blocked states provides universal protection against object damage while maintaining a relatively simple structural design compared to dedicated blocking mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a collecting container. An exemplary collecting container comprises an insertion opening on the front of the collecting container that is adapted to receive objects. The exemplary collecting container additionally comprises a receiving device arranged to receive the objects and to convey them to a storage space in the collecting container, the storage space containing a filling-level measuring means that is connected to a blocking device preventing the receiving device from being opened when a defined filling level has been reached in the storage space, the receiving device comprising a roller shutter box whose receiving area is formed by at least two side walls and a bottom. The exemplary collecting container further comprises a roller shutter that is adapted to be moved in rails on the side walls, the blocking device being configured so that it can block the movement of the roller shutter.