Denesting Roller Mechanism for Nested Cup Lid Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lid dispensing devices in beverage vending machines often malfunction due to nested lids becoming stuck together, making separation difficult and ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A device with a denesting unit and tubular magazine that uses rotating denesting rollers with support and separator elements to detach lids from a stack, allowing for adjustable angular positioning of the magazine for improved accessibility and loading, and featuring a 'reset' cycle to handle compacted lids by detaching the last two or more lids to prevent device failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If lids are nested deeply with shaped profiles to reduce space, then storage capacity is improved, but lids become firmly stuck together making separation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The denesting unit divides the separation process into multiple stages using sequential rollers. Each roller applies separation force at different positions along the lid stack, breaking the compacted state incrementally rather than attempting to separate all lids simultaneously. This segmented approach makes separation of firmly stuck lids feasible.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces angular positioning of the magazine relative to the denesting unit. By allowing the magazine to be positioned at different angles, the separation force is applied from optimized directions that exploit dimensional freedom to overcome the compacted nested state, improving separation effectiveness without increasing linear space requirements.
2Ease of operation
If denesting unit applies strong separation force to detach stuck lids, then separation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The denesting rollers are arranged concentrically within the magazine structure, with each roller nested within the space defined by the previous roller. This nested arrangement allows multiple separation stages to be packed into a compact volume, achieving strong cumulative separation force without proportionally increasing device complexity or external dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The magazine structure serves as an intermediary element that transmits and distributes the separation force from the denesting rollers to the lid stack. It provides a mechanical advantage by leveraging the rotational motion of rollers and the structural rigidity of the magazine to amplify separation effectiveness without requiring equally complex actuation mechanisms.
3Stability of the object's composition
If magazine structure is made fixed for stability, then structural stability is improved, but accessibility and loading flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The magazine is designed with adjustable angular positioning capability, transforming it from a fixed static structure to a dynamically adjustable one. This allows the magazine to be rotated to optimal angles for loading and accessibility while maintaining structural stability during operation. The dynamic adjustment feature resolves the contradiction by providing both stability during use and flexibility during maintenance.
Data Source
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AI summary
A dispensing device (1) for dispensing cup lids (3) from a stack (2) of nested lids (3); the dispensing device (1) comprises a tower magazine (8), which is designed to contain a stack (2), and a denesting unit (11) arranged of the bottom of the tower magazine (8) to detach the lids (3) from the bottom of the stack (2) and comprising a plurality of denesting rollers (19', 19") rotatably mounted about respective substantially vertical axes; each denesting roller (19', 19") has a lower shelf (23), a first upper shelf (25) above the bottom shelf (23), and a second upper shelf (26) above the first upper shelf (25); some of the denesting rollers (19', 19") comprise at least a first separator (36) carried by the first upper shelf (25), and other denesting rollers (19', 19") comprise at least a second separator (32) carried by the second upper shelf (26); the denesting rollers (19', 19") are mounted to rotate about the respective axes between a rest position, in which the stack (2) rests on the lower shelves, and a single release position, in which the first separators engage the stack (2) to detach the last item (3) from the bottom of the stack (2); and to rotate between said rest position and a multiple release position, in which the second separators engage the stack (2) to detach at least the last two items (3) from the bottom of the stack (2).