Dispensing Apparatus with Imaging Counting for Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing technologies face challenges in accurately and efficiently dispensing a predetermined number of discrete items into groups, often resulting in either underfilling or overfilling containers, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction and financial losses.
Innovation Solution
The development of a dispensing apparatus and method that uses a conveyor system with image sensing technology to count items as they fall off, allowing for real-time adjustment to ensure each container receives the exact required number, with a supplementary dispenser for completing any undershoots, and calibration for specific item types to optimize dispensing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If items are transported along a conveyor in a single file with a counting or weighting mechanism, then counting accuracy is improved, but dispensing speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical counting mechanisms with an optical imaging system. A camera captures images of items on the conveyor belt, and image processing algorithms count the items. This substitution of mechanical systems with optical/electronic systems enables high-speed counting without sacrificing accuracy, as the imaging system can process multiple items simultaneously rather than detecting them one by one through mechanical means.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional single-file item transport to two-dimensional parallel item arrangement on the conveyor belt. By allowing items to be arranged in multiple rows or columns rather than strictly single-file, the system can count and dispense multiple items simultaneously, dramatically increasing throughput while maintaining counting accuracy through image analysis of the two-dimensional arrangement.
2Measurement precision
If barriers are used to physically prevent items from falling off the conveyor, then counting control is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical barriers with a software-based counting control system. Instead of using mechanical stops or gates to prevent items from falling off the conveyor, the system uses image processing to count items in real-time and provides feedback to the dispensing mechanism. This eliminates the need for complex mechanical barrier systems while maintaining precise counting control through digital monitoring and control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the imaging device continuously monitors the number of items on the conveyor, and the control system adjusts the dispensing process accordingly. When the predetermined number of items is reached, the system automatically stops the dispensing process without requiring physical barriers. This feedback mechanism provides precise counting control while simplifying the overall device structure by replacing mechanical intervention with intelligent control.
3Productivity
If items are freely placed on the conveyor without single-file limitations, then dispensing speed is improved, but counting accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical single-file constraints with an optical imaging-based counting system that can handle freely arranged items. Instead of forcing items into a single-file configuration through mechanical guides, the system uses a camera to capture images of items in their natural scattered arrangement on the conveyor belt. Image processing algorithms then accurately count the items regardless of their positions, maintaining counting accuracy while allowing high-speed parallel dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an optical copy (image) of the item arrangement on the conveyor belt and processes this copy to determine the item count. By working with the digital image representation rather than the physical items themselves, the system can accurately count freely arranged items without requiring mechanical sorting or single-file alignment. This copying approach enables simultaneous processing of multiple items at high speed while maintaining counting precision through sophisticated image analysis.
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 approach ensures that nearly 100% of containers contain the exact required number of items, maintaining high efficiency and minimizing waste, with experimental results showing less than one error in 50,000 packages, even at high dispensing rates.
Implementation Method 1
imaging device to capture images of the falling items
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
A method for rapidly and accurately dispensing a predetermined number of discrete items, the method comprising: operating a conveyor to transport multiple items towards an imaging device, wherein the items are arranged in a single layer and at least some of the items are transported in parallel; operating the imaging device to continuously capture images of an area immediately below an end of the conveyor, so that items falling off the conveyor are recorded in the images while in trajectory; processing the images in real time, to continuously determine the number of falling items; stopping the conveyor before the number of falling items has reached the predetermined number, while continuing to determine the number of falling items until items cease to fall off the conveyor innertially; and automatically dispensing an additional amount of items, to complete the predetermined number of items.