Expandable Fork Tines for Roller Conveyor Lifting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fork mechanisms struggle to securely lift and place small goods on roller conveyors, leading to slipping, tipping, or falling, especially when using smaller roller and fork spacings, which is problematic in packet transportation where intermediate buffering or sequence changes are necessary.
Innovation Solution
A buffer device with a roller conveyor and expandable tines that can be raised and lowered, featuring fold-out supports that form an enlarged carrier surface to prevent slipping and falling, allowing for secure lifting and placement of small objects by expanding the tines transversely to create a flat support surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fork mechanisms are used to lift small goods from roller conveyors, then the lifting operation can be performed, but the small goods may slip, tip over or fall during the lifting process
Solution Approach 1:
The tines are designed with fold-out supports that can dynamically change their configuration. When the fork engages an article, the supports automatically fold out to provide additional lateral stabilization surfaces. This dynamic adaptation allows the same lifting mechanism to securely handle both small and large goods, preventing slipping and tipping during the lifting operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fold-out supports extend the carrier surface in the lateral dimension (transverse to the longitudinal extension of the tine). This adds a second dimension of support contact, creating a more stable geometric relationship between the lifting device and the article, thereby preventing lateral slipping and tipping.
2Adaptability or versatility
If smaller roller and fork spacings are used to handle small goods, then the lifting capability is maintained, but the small goods still cannot be prevented from slipping or falling
Solution Approach 1:
The fold-out supports provide a dynamic adaptation mechanism that adjusts the effective spacing and contact points based on the size of the article being lifted. This eliminates the need for multiple fixed-spacing forks, as a single fork with fold-out supports can adaptively secure articles of varying dimensions, thereby reliably preventing slipping and falling across different product sizes.
3Reliability
If the tines are expanded transversely to form an enlarged carrier surface, then slipping and falling of small objects is prevented, but the device complexity increases due to fold-out supports
Solution Approach 1:
The fold-out supports are designed to be self-actuating through mechanical interaction with the article and guide structures. When the fork engages an article, the support forces automatically cause the fold-out supports to deploy to the expanded position. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external actuators or complex control systems, achieving the enlarged carrier surface with minimal added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Vertical guides serve as intermediary structures that facilitate the folding and unfolding of the supports. These simple guide elements mediate between the tine and the fold-out support, providing a constrained path for the support's motion and enabling the expansion mechanism with minimal complexity.
4Productivity
If the fork is in the lowered position with tines between rollers, then articles can be conveyed past on rollers, but the tines cannot provide support surface for lifting
Solution Approach 1:
The fold-out supports remain folded in during the conveyance phase, allowing articles to pass freely between the rollers and tines without obstruction. When lifting is required, the supports fold out to provide the necessary support surface. This dynamic state change allows the same structure to serve both continuous conveyance and secure lifting functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The support function is segmented into two states: folded-in for conveyance and folded-out for lifting. This segmentation allows the system to optimize for each function independently - maintaining unobstructed conveyance path when not lifting, and providing adequate support surface when lifting is required.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Device (1) for lifting an article (100) from a roller conveyor (2) having a fork (5) which can be raised and lowered having a plurality of spaced-apart elongate tines (6) which, in the lowered position, move with the tines between or below the rollers (2A) of the roller conveyor (2) in order to lift one or a plurality of articles (100) from the rollers (2A) as the fork (5) is being raised into the raised position with the tines (6), wherein the tines (6) form a carrier surface (7) for the article (100), wherein the tines (6) can be expanded in the direction transverse to the longitudinal extension thereof in order to form an expanded carrier surface (7).