Egg Sorting Conveyor Recycling First Choice Eggs
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Solution Overview
Problem
In egg packaging processes, valuable eggs are often treated as industry eggs due to technical failures or lack of packaging, leading to economic losses as they are broken or processed instead of being sold as consumer eggs.
Innovation Solution
An egg sorting and packaging method where eggs not initially packed are recycled back onto the conveyor to pass through packaging lines again, using a buffering bypass device to replace first choice eggs in occupied positions, thereby increasing the packing of valuable eggs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If eggs are released from the endless conveyor when packaging lines are full or unavailable, then the conveyor can continue operating, but valuable eggs are broken and treated as industry eggs causing economic loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic eggs (those that cannot be packaged) from the main conveyor stream and removes them at a specific location downstream. By taking out only the necessary eggs for industry use at the optimal point, the system prevents valuable eggs from being unnecessarily broken while maintaining conveyor continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary grading of eggs into first choice and second choice before they reach the packaging lines. This preliminary classification allows the system to identify which eggs are valuable and should be protected, enabling selective removal only when absolutely necessary and preventing premature breaking of valuable eggs.
2Ease of operation
If all eggs are removed from the conveyor to clear it for new eggs, then the conveyor can receive new eggs, but valuable eggs are unnecessarily broken
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of removing all eggs to clear the conveyor, the patent extracts only the specific eggs that cannot be packaged (second choice eggs or blocked first choice eggs) at a downstream location. This selective extraction maintains conveyor operation while preventing unnecessary destruction of valuable eggs that could still be packaged.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent discards only the eggs that are truly unsuitable for consumer packaging (second choice eggs) while recovering and continuing to transport first choice eggs that can still be packaged. This selective discarding and recovery approach minimizes valuable egg loss while maintaining system efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If eggs are graded and second choice eggs are removed at the supply device, then packaging lines receive only first choice eggs, but the conveyor positions become occupied reducing first choice egg throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to the sorting process by allowing second choice eggs to occupy conveyor positions temporarily. These eggs are removed downstream when first choice eggs are ready to be packaged, effectively using the time dimension to resolve the conflict between sorting precision and throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous operation of the conveyor and packaging lines by allowing second choice eggs to fill gaps temporarily. The removal of these eggs downstream ensures that first choice egg packing continues without interruption, maintaining the continuity of useful action throughout the system.
Data Source
AI summary
An egg sorting and packaging method and assembly, wherein eggs are placed on an endless egg conveyor (2) by means of an egg supply device (3). The eggs are selectively moved from the endless egg conveyor into packaging lines (6a-6c), in which packaging lines the eggs are packed into egg packages. Eggs which are not released into one of the packaging lines remain on the endless egg conveyor and are recycled to pass by the packaging lines again in order to be released into one of the packaging lines.