Overhead Conveyor Loading Station Vertical Adapter Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing loading stations for overhead conveyors in the fashion industry face issues such as garments swinging uncontrollably, falling off, and increased wear on rolling adapters due to vibration, leading to inefficiencies and higher maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A loading station design where primary load carriers are loaded vertically, using a storage section, separating device, and feed device to guide secondary load carriers into transport openings without deflection, minimizing vibration and stress on rolling adapters, and allowing for direct movement into the main conveyor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If primary load carriers are deflected from vertical orientation during loading, then the transport opening area is increased for easier loading, but the rolling adapters experience increased wear and stress
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deflecting the rolling adapter from vertical to achieve loading, the invention inverts the approach by keeping the adapter vertical and deflecting the feed device (slide) at an angle to perform the loading operation. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining adapter orientation for durability while achieving loading ease through the angled feed device.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a slide as an intermediary component between the hanger feed and the vertical rolling adapter. The slide is deflected at an angle and guides the hanger into the transport opening, mediating the loading process without requiring the adapter itself to be deflected, thus preserving adapter durability while enabling easy loading.
2Ease of operation
If mechanical components are added to enable loading operations, then loading functionality is improved, but device complexity and investment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The feed device is designed to perform multiple functions: it feeds hangers from the storage section, deflects them at an angle for optimal loading, and guides them into the transport opening. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate loading mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining full loading functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the feeding and loading operations into a single integrated feed device. The slide combines the functions of hanger transport, angular deflection, and precise positioning into one component, reducing the number of separate mechanical elements needed and simplifying the overall system.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a loading station (10) for automatically loading a primary load carrier (36) of an overhead conveyor (18) with a secondary load carrier (38) for hanging goods, comprising a buffer section (12), wherein the buffer section is designed to accumulate primary load carriers that can move along the buffer section behind one another in the conveying direction, a separating unit (18) arranged laterally in relation to the buffer section and having first and second stop elements (68) mounted such that they each move transverse to the buffer section, wherein each of the stop elements is moved into a conveying path of the primary load carrier in the stop position, and moved out of the conveying path in the release position, as well as a switch (76), a control unit (40), a supply unit (16) arranged laterally relative to the buffer section and designed to direct a bracket-type top section of the secondary load carrier through a transport opening in the primary load carrier, in order to load the primary load carrier if the primary load carrier is in a loading position, wherein the switch is arranged opposite the supply unit such that the primary load carrier is between the switch and the supply unit in the loading position.