Transversely Displaceable Distributor Conveyor for Format Set Completion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Incomplete format sets of food products on conveyor tracks often lead to unwanted packaging, requiring costly manual or automated correction processes.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a first and second stop conveyor, and a transversely displaceable distributor conveyor allows for the automatic completion of incomplete format sets by relocating products from one conveyor track to another, maintaining continuous conveyor flow without the need for a product store.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual or automated robot completion is used to complete incomplete format sets, then the completeness of format sets is improved, but the production cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses incomplete format sets themselves as the resource to complete other incomplete format sets. Products from one incomplete line are transferred to another incomplete line, allowing the system to self-complete without external intervention or additional storage facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding incomplete format sets, the system recovers and reuses them by transferring products between incomplete lines. This recovery process transforms defective incomplete sets into complete format sets, eliminating waste and reducing the need for expensive correction mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If a product store is provided to store completion products, then the completion of incomplete format sets is facilitated, but the space requirement and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the completion function from a separate storage facility and integrates it directly into the conveyor system. By removing the need for a dedicated product store and using the conveyor tracks themselves for temporary holding and product transfer, the system achieves completion capability without additional space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor tracks serve multiple functions: they convey products forward, temporarily hold incomplete format sets, and facilitate product transfer between lines. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate storage facilities, reducing both space requirements and manufacturing complexity.
3Productivity
If stop conveyors and distributor conveyor are used for automatic completion, then the productivity is improved by maintaining conveyor flow, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system is segmented into multiple independent tracks with individual stop conveyors and a separate distributor conveyor. This segmentation allows independent control of each track, enabling selective stopping and product transfer while maintaining overall system productivity and flow continuity.
4Reliability
If incomplete format sets are sorted out and supplied to correction conveyor track, then the packaging quality is improved by preventing unwanted packaging, but the production time is lost due to sorting and correction processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of incomplete format sets and redirects them to correction tracks before they reach the packaging station. By detecting and sorting incomplete sets in advance, the system prevents packaging errors without requiring time-consuming corrections after packaging.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for completing a format set of products which are conveyed line-wise on a plurality of conveyor tracks along a conveying direction comprises a first stop conveyor and a second stop conveyor which are arranged after one another in the conveying direction and which are configured to convey products along the conveying direction on all conveyor tracks, with the first stop conveyor and the second stop conveyor furthermore being able to stop a conveyed product as required on at least one conveyor track, while a product is conveyed onward on at least one other conveyor track. A distributor conveyor is arranged between the first stop conveyor and the second stop conveyor and is configured to convey at least one product along the conveying direction, with the distributor conveyor being displaceable transversely to the conveying direction.