Flexible Spike Pick-Up Device for Waste Paper Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for separating cardboard from waste paper mixtures often suffer from spike damage or breakage due to the presence of hard objects like wood, which can cause operational disruptions.
Innovation Solution
The device features flexible spikes attached to a pick-up device with protective projections and a yieldable base that can deform to accommodate hard objects, preventing spike damage and ensuring continuous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid spikes are used on the pick-up device to impale cardboard, then cardboard separation effectiveness is improved, but the spikes break off when encountering hard objects like wood
Solution Approach 1:
The spikes are made flexible rather than rigid, allowing them to bend and move dynamically when encountering hard objects. This flexibility prevents the spikes from breaking off while maintaining their ability to impale and separate cardboard effectively during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical property of the spikes is changed from rigid to flexible. This parameter change allows the spikes to adapt to different encountered objects - remaining rigid enough to pierce cardboard but flexible enough to avoid breaking on hard objects like wood.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed base is used to support the pick-up device, then structural stability is improved, but hard objects become wedged between the base and pick-up device, blocking the system
Solution Approach 1:
The base is designed to be yieldable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position when hard objects are encountered. The base can yield downward to allow hard objects to pass through, then return to its original position, preventing blocking while maintaining structural stability during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The yieldable base acts as a cushioning mechanism that absorbs the impact of hard objects before they can cause damage or blocking. The base yields in anticipation of potential conflicts with hard objects, preventing them from wedging between the base and pick-up device.
3Reliability
If rigid projections are added next to spikes for protection, then spike breakage is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective projections are merged with the spike structure itself, forming an integrated unit rather than separate components. The projections are positioned next to the spikes and move with them, providing protection without requiring additional independent mechanisms or complex assembly.
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
This design effectively prevents spike breakage and allows hard objects to pass through without blocking the system, maintaining device integrity and operational continuity.
Implementation Method 1
a spring bar 7 is provided, to which springs 7a are attached, which are compressed at a predetermined force on the base 5 and thus build up an elastic restoring force that press the base back into its original position when the force is removed
Data Source
Figure 1A~1
Figure 2~2A
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The device has a sorting unit comprising a feed area for feeding a bulk of waste paper to a pick-up device (3) with spikes (2). The spikes and the feed area are formed such that the spikes impale cardboard sections of the bulk of waste paper fed from the feed area. The spikes are connected with the pick-up device so that the spikes avoid a preset force during an action. Projections are formed such that the spikes are protected by the projections during contact with a hard object. The feed area has a base (5) with base elements (5b) arranged parallel and transverse to a feed direction.