Conveyor Jam Detection and Selective Object Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor systems face inefficiencies due to jams caused by conveyed objects, which can lead to frequent disruptions and reduced transport efficiency, as existing methods lack effective mechanisms to identify and remove objects that consistently cause jams.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor system with a network of zones and detectors that monitor motor currents and abnormality counters to identify problematic objects, allowing for their selective removal to a different area along the transport path, thereby reducing jam occurrences and improving overall efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conveyor systems continuously operate without removing problematic objects, then transport capacity is maximized, but jam frequency increases and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts problematic conveyed objects from the main transport stream by identifying them through abnormality detection (multiple jams or motor current anomalies) and diverting them to a removal area. This separation removes the harmful elements causing frequent jams while allowing the majority of normal objects to continue flowing through the conveyor system, thus improving reliability without significantly reducing overall transport capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification and removal of problematic objects during their transport along the conveyor, rather than waiting for jams to occur. By monitoring abnormality counts and motor currents in real-time, the system proactively diverts objects that are likely to cause jams before they disrupt the transport flow, preventing rather than reacting to problems
2Reliability
If the system monitors and removes all objects causing jams, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases due to additional detectors and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing conveyor components (motors, controllers, and transport mechanisms) for multiple purposes: normal object transport and abnormality detection/removal. The motor current detectors and abnormality counters serve dual functions of monitoring transport performance and identifying problematic objects, reducing the need for separate dedicated detection systems and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system monitors its own operation using embedded detectors and controllers that track motor currents and abnormality counts. The system automatically identifies problematic objects and triggers their removal without external intervention, making the monitoring and removal process self-contained and minimizing the complexity of external control systems
Data Source
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AI summary
Conveyor system 1 comprises conveyor mechanism(s) MC provided with transport path(s) along which conveyed object(s) are conveyed to transport destination(s) A; electric current detector(s) 63 and/or abnormality detector(s) 56 that detect preestablished triggering event(s) which are event(s) occurring at conveyor mechanism(s) MC due to conveyed object(s) during transport of conveyed object(s); and removal processor(s) 302 that, when triggering event(s) detected by electric current detector(s) 63 and/or abnormality detector(s) 56 satisfy preestablished triggering condition(s), cause conveyed object(s) to be transported by conveyor mechanism(s) MC to removal area(s) B which are not transport destination(s) A.