Conveyor Device Vacuum Control for Rod-Shaped Articles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyor devices for rod-shaped articles face challenges in reliably holding and precisely controlling the transport of highly air-permeable and porous materials like tobacco rods and filter rods, leading to contamination and functional deterioration due to high negative pressure requirements and frequent maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a conveyor device with control discs on each revolving body, which control the connection between the suction channel and the base body's passage opening, allowing for precise vacuum control and reduced air volume suction, enhancing holding capacity and reducing contamination and maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional conveyor devices use high negative pressure to hold highly air-permeable rod-shaped articles, then holding capacity is improved, but contamination and functional deterioration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor device divides the vacuum system into multiple independent suction channels, each serving specific holding heads. This segmentation allows localized vacuum control, reducing the overall air volume that needs to be evacuated and minimizing contamination exposure for each article handling zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The control discs periodically open and close the connection between suction channels and the vacuum source, creating pulsed vacuum action. This periodic operation reduces continuous air flow through porous materials, thereby decreasing contamination while maintaining adequate holding capacity during the vacuum application phase.
2Reliability
If conventional conveyor devices continuously connect suction channels to vacuum source, then holding reliability is improved, but air volume suction increases leading to faster functional deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
Control discs on revolving bodies periodically establish and interrupt the connection between suction channels and the vacuum source. This periodic connection maintains holding reliability when needed while significantly reducing the cumulative air volume suction over time, thereby slowing functional deterioration of the vacuum system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically controls the vacuum connection state through rotating control discs, transitioning between connected and disconnected states based on operational requirements. This dynamic control optimizes the balance between holding reliability and air volume management.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional conveyor devices use simple vacuum connection, then device complexity is reduced, then manufacturing ease is improved, but vacuum control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum control system is segmented into multiple independent channels, each with its own control disc. This segmentation enables precise individual control of vacuum application to different holding heads while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure that is straightforward to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
Control discs act as intermediary components between the vacuum source and the suction channels. These simple mechanical intermediaries provide precise vacuum control timing and distribution without requiring complex control systems, maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving precise vacuum control.
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 provides a reliable and precise method to hold rod-shaped articles with improved suction capacity and reduced contamination, enabling efficient and continuous operation with lower maintenance requirements, even for highly air-permeable materials.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one holding head has at least one suction opening and is adapted to hold at least one rod-shaped article by means of negative pressure at the at least one suction opening
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
The device has a rotating body (2) comprising a suction channel that is continuously connected with a passage opening (11) of a base body to a rotary angular region by an arc-shaped recess of a control disk during complete circular rotation of the rotating body around a middle axis of a shaft section (22). The rotary angular region corresponds to a middle point angle of a circular arc. The suction channel of the rotating body is locked against the passage opening to a rotary angle, which corresponds to an angle of 360 degree lesser than the middle point angle. An independent claim is also included for a method for deflecting a rod-shaped article from a transport flow into another transport flow.