Conveyor Flight Cam Mechanism for Object Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor systems face inefficiencies due to the complexity and slowdown caused by existing methods for maintaining object spacing and positioning on conveyor belts, which often require multiple sensors and actuatable components, leading to reduced conveyor efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor system incorporating a conveyor belt with rotating rollers and a flight mechanism, where the rollers engage a roller-engagement surface to accelerate objects and the flight mechanism, which can move from a retracted to an extended position, allows for precise spacing and positioning of objects without slowing down the conveyor, using a cam and projection system to control the flight's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If standard conveyor belts with overhead or bottom mounted spacing bars are used, then object spacing is maintained, but conveyor speed is reduced and efficiency diminishes
Solution Approach 1:
The spacing bar is made movable between an extended position (protruding above the conveyor belt to maintain object spacing) and a retracted position (withdrawn below the conveyor belt to allow uninterrupted flow). This dynamic positioning allows the conveyor to alternate between spacing mode and high-speed transport mode, resolving the contradiction between maintaining precise spacing and preserving conveyor efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The spacing bar operates periodically by extending when objects are being positioned and retracting when objects are in transit. This periodic extension and retraction allows the system to achieve both precise spacing control and high-speed conveyor operation at different time intervals, eliminating the need for continuous slowdown
2Manufacturing precision
If multiplicity of sensors and actuatable package-stopping components are used, then object positioning is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for multiple sensors and actuatable package-stopping components by using a single movable spacing bar. The spacing bar itself serves as both the positioning reference and the physical barrier, simplifying the system architecture while maintaining precise object positioning capability
Solution Approach 2:
The movable spacing bar performs multiple functions: it serves as the spacing reference, the positioning barrier, and the control element. This multi-functional design replaces what would otherwise require separate sensors, actuators, and control systems, thereby reducing device complexity while achieving accurate object positioning
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
This solution enables efficient object spacing and positioning on conveyor belts, maintaining conveyor speed while ensuring precise control over object placement, thereby enhancing conveyor efficiency and throughput.
Implementation Method 1
The flight has a cam and a projection. The cam imparts a moment on the projection to rotate the projection from a retracted position to an extended position.
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3~4
Figure 5A~5B
AI summary
A conveyor includes a conveyor belt, a plurality of rollers, and a flight. The rollers have lower surfaces configured to engage a roller-engagement surface, and upper surfaces that substantially form a plane, such that the rollers engage the roller-engagement surface and rotate to move an object supported by the rollers over the plane. The flight includes a cam configured to engage a cam surface below the conveyor belt to impart a moment on the flight, and a projection that responds to the moment by rotating from a retracted position to an extended position.