Empty Container Receiving Device Gravity Transport Guide Track
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing empties acceptance devices for reusable containers, particularly glass beverage containers, face challenges with damage and noise due to their fragile nature and the need for complex structures with actively driven conveyor belts.
Innovation Solution
An empties acceptance device with a simplified structure featuring a guide track and guide element that utilize a negative incline for downhill transport, eliminating the need for an actively driven conveyor belt, and a height-adjustable flexible base to minimize impact and prevent damage, along with sensors for precise fill level detection and controlled height adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an actively driven conveyor belt is used to transport empty containers, then transport reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track enables empty containers to transport themselves using gravity force, eliminating the need for an actively driven conveyor belt. The negative incline of the guide track creates a self-propelling system where containers move automatically from the feeding area to the receiving container without external power sources or complex drive mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex mechanically driven conveyor belt system with a simple gravitational field-based transport mechanism. By utilizing the negative incline of the guide track, the system substitutes active mechanical propulsion with passive gravitational force, significantly simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining transport functionality.
2Ease of operation
If a complex feed system with actively driven conveyor belt is used, then transport control is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track with negative incline allows empty containers to self-transport using gravity, eliminating the need for complex actively driven conveyor belts. This self-service mechanism significantly reduces manufacturing costs by removing motors, controllers, and other expensive components while maintaining adequate transport control through the fixed incline geometry.
3Productivity
If the receiving container is filled to high capacity, then productivity is improved, but damage risk to containers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible base of the receiving container is designed to dynamically adapt its height based on the fill level. As empty containers are deposited, the base flexes and rises to meet them, maintaining a relatively constant drop distance. This dynamic adjustment allows the receiving container to be filled to high capacity while minimizing impact forces and damage risk to the containers.
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 solution reduces the risk of damage to containers, minimizes noise, and simplifies the device's structure by relying on gravity for transport, ensuring efficient and safe handling of empties while allowing for precise control of the fill level and flexible base height.
Implementation Method 1
the guide track has a negative slope between the first end and the second end in at least one section along the empty container transport path, i.e. in an empty container transport direction from the first end to the second end of the guide track
Data Source
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AI summary
An empty container receiving device (10) comprises: a receiving container (12) having a side wall arrangement and a bottom for receiving empty containers and an empty container transport arrangement (16) for transporting empty containers introduced into the empty container receiving device (10) to the receiving container (12) along an empty container transport path (T), wherein the empty container transport arrangement (16) comprises: a guide element (16a) provided on the side wall arrangement, which is inclined downwards towards the bottom of the receiving container (12), and a guide track (16b) which is positioned in front of the guide element (16a) along the empty container transport path (T),wherein the guide track (16b) has a first end facing away from the guide element (16a) along the empty container transport path (T) and a second end facing the guide element (16a) along the empty container transport path (T) and wherein the guide track (16b) has a negative slope between the first end and the second end in at least one section along the empty container transport path (T).