Conveyor Buffering Printed Products Using Dynamic Accumulating Sections
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyors used in digital book production systems face inefficiencies due to limited buffering capacity and sequence disruption during malfunctions, leading to waste and production interruptions.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor system with dynamic accumulating sections, including a first and second accumulating section, a feeding device, and a discharge device, allowing for speed reduction and 'first in-first out' principle to maintain product sequence, utilizing lifts with multiple planes and zones to optimize buffering and uncoupling between processing devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a single accumulating section is used to buffer printed products during interruptions, then the buffering capacity is limited, but the system complexity remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor is divided into multiple accumulating sections (first and second accumulating sections) that can operate independently. Each section has its own feeding and discharge devices, allowing the system to buffer larger quantities of printed products by distributing them across multiple segments rather than requiring one large complex buffer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by stacking accumulating sections at different levels (first accumulating section at a first level, second accumulating section at a second level). This multi-level arrangement increases buffering capacity without proportionally increasing horizontal space requirements or system complexity.
2Quantity of substance
If spiral towers with diverters are used to store printed products, then the buffering capacity increases, but the sequence of printed products is changed
Solution Approach 1:
Printed products are fed onto the accumulating sections in the correct sequence before any interruption occurs. The feeding devices maintain proper sequencing by controlling the input order, and the accumulating sections preserve this sequence during buffering, ensuring that products are discharged in the same order they were received.
Solution Approach 2:
The accumulating sections act as intermediaries between the feeding device and the discharge device. These intermediary buffers receive products in sequence, hold them during interruptions, and release them in the same sequence, thereby maintaining product order while providing buffering capacity.
3Quantity of substance
If the conveyor speed is reduced to allow accumulation, then the buffering effect increases, but the productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying speeds of the accumulating sections are dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. During normal operation, the sections run at higher speeds to maintain productivity. During interruptions or when buffering is needed, the speeds can be reduced to allow accumulation. This dynamic speed control allows the system to optimize between productivity and buffering effect based on real-time conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (conveying speed, accumulation level) based on system conditions. When the downstream processing device is running smoothly, the conveyor operates at high speed with minimal accumulation. When interruptions are anticipated or occur, the parameters are adjusted to increase buffering capacity, thereby maintaining overall productivity while providing necessary buffer effects.
4Quantity of substance
If multiple accumulating sections are used with dynamic changes, then the buffering capacity and sequence maintenance improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple accumulating sections are merged into a single integrated conveyor system with coordinated feeding and discharge devices. The sections work together as a unified buffer system rather than separate independent systems, reducing overall complexity while maintaining increased buffering capacity. The control system manages all sections through a single coordination mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for conveying printed products, includes a first accumulating section and at least one second accumulating section to convey the printed products from at least one intake area to at least one discharge area. The apparatus includes a feeding device to supply the printed products to one of the first or second accumulating sections in the at least one intake area. The apparatus further includes a discharge device to remove the printed products from one of the first or second accumulating sections in the at least one discharge area.