Flexible Feeding Tray with Orientation Slots for Robot Picking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional flexible feeding systems face issues with misoriented and oriented objects being commingled on the vibration table, obstructing robot picking and requiring complex vision-guided systems for proper object orientation.

Innovation Solution

A flexible feeding system with a vibratory platform and a unique tray featuring orientation slots and a divider that segregates oriented objects from misoriented ones, allowing only oriented objects to pass into the singulating region for efficient picking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional vibration tables are used without orientation slots and dividers, then the system structure remains simple, but misoriented and oriented objects become commingled together obstructing robot picking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverobot picking efficiencyVSAvoidtray structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tray is segmented into distinct functional regions: bulk storage region, orienting region with orientation slots, and singulating region separated by dividers. This segmentation allows objects to be processed in stages - bulk storage, orientation, and singulation - preventing commingling of oriented and misoriented objects while maintaining manageable structural complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Orientation slots act as intermediary structures that temporarily hold objects in specific orientations. The dividers serve as mediators that separate oriented objects from misoriented ones, allowing the robot to pick only properly oriented objects without obstruction from misoriented ones

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Extent of automation

If conventional vibration tables are used without orientation slots, then the tray structure remains simple, but complicated vision-guided systems and algorithms are required to locate and pick only oriented objects

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomated object location and pickingVSAvoidvision-guided system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The orientation slots perform preliminary orientation action on objects before they reach the singulating region. By pre-orienting objects in the orienting region, the system eliminates the need for complex vision-guided systems to locate and identify oriented objects among misoriented ones, as the orientation is already established by the mechanical slot structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the need for complex optical/vision systems with a mechanical orientation system. The orientation slots mechanically orient objects through their physical geometry, substituting mechanical action for what would otherwise require sophisticated vision algorithms to detect and locate oriented objects

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If fixed tooling systems are used for specific fastener types, then the system is optimized for that specific application, but the system becomes inflexible and hard to retool for different fastener types

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepicking efficiency for specific object typeVSAvoidflexibility to handle different object types

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The tray design incorporates universal features that can accommodate multiple fastener types. The orientation slots can be configured in different patterns and the dividers can be repositioned to handle various fastener geometries, allowing a single tray design to serve multiple functions for different fastener types while maintaining high picking efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 system effectively segregates and singulates oriented objects, improving picking efficiency and reducing the need for complex vision-guided systems by using a tray with orientation slots and a divider to restrict misoriented objects, facilitating quick changeover for different types of objects.

Implementation Method 1

a vibration table that receives a quantity of the bulk objects from the hopper and uses vibration to orient and/or singulate the objects

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration: Vibration

Data Source

PatentUS10926962B2Flexible feeding tray and system for singulating bulk objects

Publication Date: 2021.02.23 RAYTHEON CO

AI summary

A flexible feeding system including a tray configured to orient, segregate and singulate objects. The tray is operatively coupled to a multi-directional vibratory platform for causing movement of the objects in multiple different directions on the tray. The tray includes an orienting region having orienting slots for orienting the objects, and a divider that separates the orienting region from a singulating region of the tray. The divider includes openings that correspond with the orienting slots. The openings are configured to permit the objects which are oriented in the slots to pass across the divider into the singulating region, while restricting the misoriented objects from passing across the divider. The tray may include an upstream bulk region for containing a plurality of the objects in bulk form. The tray also may include a downstream pick region for confining the oriented objects at predetermined locations in each of the slots.