Conveyor Barrier With Movable Elements

Solution Overview

Problem

Conveyor systems often trap objects between the barrier and the support surface due to rigid design, leading to inefficiencies in object delivery and sorting, particularly with irregularly shaped items or protrusions, causing inconvenience and potential misdirection of objects.

Innovation Solution

The barrier features independently moveable elements with translatability and rotatability within an oversized slot, allowing vertical movement and rotation over a specific angle to accommodate surface irregularities and maintain contact with the support surface, reducing the risk of object entrapment and ensuring smooth object transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the barrier is raised to prevent object entrapment, then object safety is improved, but the barrier cannot stop relatively flat objects such as cards and letters

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveobject safetyVSAvoidability to stop flat objects

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier is divided into multiple independently movable barrier elements (at least three) that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows the barrier to adapt its shape to follow surface deviations while maintaining sufficient height to stop flat objects, resolving the contradiction between safety and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The barrier elements are made dynamically movable with respect to the barrier body through oversized slots, allowing vertical translation and rotation. This dynamic capability enables the barrier to follow support surface deviations without becoming too low to stop flat objects, simultaneously achieving safety and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of manufacture

If the barrier elements are made rigid and fixed, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but objects may get trapped between the barrier and support surface

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidrisk of object entrapment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier elements are made dynamically movable with respect to the barrier body through oversized slots, allowing vertical translation and rotation. This dynamic capability enables the barrier to follow support surface deviations without becoming too low to stop flat objects, simultaneously achieving safety and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the barrier elements are made independently movable with rotational freedom, then adaptability to surface deviations is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to follow support surfaceVSAvoidbarrier structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier elements are made dynamically movable with respect to the barrier body through oversized slots, allowing vertical translation and rotation. This dynamic capability enables the barrier to follow support surface deviations without becoming too low to stop flat objects, simultaneously achieving safety and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The barrier elements automatically adjust their position and orientation through the oversized slots in response to support surface deviations, without requiring external control systems or complex mechanisms. This self-adjusting capability reduces control complexity while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3693301B1Conveyor with pushers

Publication Date: 2023.08.09 OPTIMUS SORTER HLDG

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AI summary

A device comprising a conveyor such as a sorter comprises a support surface (121) for an object, and a moveable barrier (220), wherein said barrier (220) - comprises a bottom side for contact with the support surface (121) and a top side, and - is moveable relative to the support surface (121) with a directional component, which directional component is parallel to the support surface (121) and transverse to the direction of movement of the support surface (121). So as to reduce the risk of an object getting stuck between the barrier (220) and the support surface (121), the barrier (220) comprises a multitude of independently moveable barrier elements (222) having free distal ends for contact with the support surface (121) and defining the bottom edge of the barrier (220), wherein the barrier elements (222) are mounted such that the distal ends of the barrier element (222) are moveable with a vertical directional component.