Egg Carton Transport Platform with Centering Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for transporting and unstacking egg packs fail to prevent damage to raw eggs during transport and storage, particularly when using cellulose-containing recycling materials, and require manual labor for unloading.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring platforms with full-surface support plates and centering elements for stable transport, combined with a transfer device using gripper arms for automated unstacking and an intermediate conveyor for egg handling, along with a sensor for condition assessment and a pressing mechanism for stacking empty packs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If egg packs are made from cellulose-containing recycling material, then cost is reduced and environmental friendliness is improved, but moisture absorption increases causing stability reduction
Solution Approach 1:
A plastic film is introduced as an intermediary layer between the egg packs and the support plate. This film prevents direct contact between the moisture-absorbing cellulose material and the condensation moisture, thereby maintaining the stability of the egg packs while still allowing the use of cost-effective recycling material.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a disposable plastic film cover on the support plate. This cheap, single-use component protects the egg packs from moisture during transport, accepting that the film will be contaminated and discarded after one use, rather than attempting to make the support plate itself reusable.
2Ease of operation
If egg packs are transported on conventional platforms, then transport is simple, but egg displacement and damage occur during transport
Solution Approach 1:
Centering elements are introduced as intermediary components between the egg packs and the support plate. These elements actively prevent horizontal displacement of the egg packs during transport, addressing the protection issue without complicating the overall transport system.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate provides full-surface support across the entire bottom area of the egg packs, rather than point contact. This distributed support prevents local pressure points and displacement, while the centering elements provide localized guidance at critical edges.
3Device complexity
If manual unstacking is used, then device complexity is reduced, but labor requirements increase and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces manual mechanical unstacking with an automated transfer device using suction cups and conveyors. This substitution eliminates labor while maintaining relatively simple device architecture, achieving both automation and simplicity.
4Reliability
If full-surface support is provided to prevent displacement, then egg protection is improved, but platform stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic film acts as a mediator between the support plate and the egg packs. It allows the support plate to provide full-surface support for egg protection while the film itself absorbs moisture, preventing the weight and stability issues that would arise from direct moisture contact with the platform structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for transporting a stack formed of a plurality of open egg cartons, which are arranged on top of one another and filled with fresh eggs, to a separating device for the egg cartons and to a stacking device for the emptied egg cartons, wherein said transport device is to be designed such that the stacks formed of the egg cartons can be transported without damaging fresh eggs, regardless of the nature of the stacks, and moreover de-stacking can be carried out without manual activities. According to the invention, the stacks formed by egg cartons arranged on top of one another are transported on platforms (11) to a de-stacking station (15) in order to support the respective bottom egg carton in the stack over the entire surface area. For this purpose, the respective bottom egg carton of the stack rests on support panels (12) provided with centering elements (14), which positively engage in the respective bottom egg carton in the stack from the lower face. The device according to the invention is particularly suited to separate the egg cartons which are transported away from a refrigerated warehouse and filled with fresh eggs and to subsequently empty said cartons.