Egg Carrier Clamping System for Predictable Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing egg carriers fail to provide predictable and secure positioning of eggs, especially during handling and processing, leading to inaccuracies and instability, particularly when tilted or subjected to external forces.
Innovation Solution
An egg carrier with a clamping system and operating mechanism that includes moveable housing members, cooperating transmission members, and a prestress system, allowing for precise positioning and secure holding of eggs through external operation, ensuring high positional accuracy and self-braking capabilities to prevent accidental release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a fixed shape egg accommodation is used to hold eggs by gravity, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the egg position is not predictable and eggs move when the tray is tilted or touched
Solution Approach 1:
The egg carrier employs a dynamic clamping system with movable clamping members that can adjust their position to secure eggs firmly. The clamping members are coupled to housing members that can move relative to each other, transitioning between open and closed positions to adapt to different egg sizes and secure them predictably, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The egg carrier is divided into segmented components including first and second housing members, multiple clamping members, and an operating system with transmission members. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while contributing to the overall egg securing mechanism, enabling predictable egg positioning without excessive overall complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If individual egg handling with high positional accuracy is implemented, then egg position control is improved, but the operating system becomes more complex requiring multiple operating members
Solution Approach 1:
The operating system merges multiple operating members (first and second operating members) with the housing members through transmission members. This integration allows the operating members to control the relative movement of housing members and the clamping action simultaneously, achieving high egg position control while reducing overall system complexity through functional merging.
Solution Approach 2:
Transmission members act as intermediaries between the operating members and the clamping members/housing members. These transmission members translate the movement of operating members into precise clamping actions, enabling high positional accuracy while simplifying the direct connection requirements between operating and clamping components.
3Ease of operation
If the operating system is accessible from the exterior of the egg carrier, then operation is simplified and eggs can be introduced easily, but the internal structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The operating members and their associated transmission members are extracted to the exterior of the egg carrier, allowing operators to access and operate the system from outside. This extraction simplifies operation for egg introduction while the internal housing members and clamping members maintain a relatively simple enclosed structure, balancing ease of operation with internal structural simplicity.
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
The egg carrier achieves reliable and predictable egg positioning and handling, enabling precise control and secure transport of eggs in various handling systems, including batch and continuous processes, with the ability to handle multiple eggs simultaneously while maintaining egg orientation and stability.
Implementation Method 1
the prestress system is configured to prestress the egg clamping system towards the egg securing position
Implementation Method 2
The operating system comprises a number of cooperating transmission members, each transmission member coupled with one of the at least two housing members. The transmission members mutually engage to move the egg clamping system under the effect of wedging.
Implementation Method 3
The bowl-shaped portion has a radius r such that the tip of the egg slides to the centre of bowl shaped portion. This is important since this assures that the egg seeks an upright orientation when securing the egg in the egg accommodation with respect to the egg carrier.
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
The present invention relates to an egg carrier (1) for holding an egg in an egg handling system (2), the egg carrier (1) comprising: - an egg accommodation (3), - an egg clamping system (4) moveable between an egg securing position and an egg release position, - an operating system (5) for moving the clamping system (4) between the two positions, wherein the operating system (5) comprises an operating member (6) that is operable externally from the egg carrier (1). An assembly (16) of a number of such interlinked egg carriers (1) is further disclosed. A tray (17) comprising a tray interior accommodating such an assembly (16) is also disclosed, wherein operating members (6) are coupled or connectable for joint operation of interlinked egg carriers (1). An egg processing system is also disclosed comprising an egg conveyor tray (2), and such an egg carrier (1), wherein the egg conveyer comprises a first cam profile (19) for contacting the pair of spaced operating members in order to operate the egg clamping system (4) between the egg securing position and the egg release position. Use of an egg processing system according to the invention comprises securing an egg in the accommodation space (3) in a predetermined sampling position with respect to the egg carrier (1), tilting the egg carrier (1) around an horizontal axis into a tilted position, maintaining the egg in the predetermined tilted during a settling time, prior to taking an allantoic fluid sample from the egg.