Glass Plate Transfer System with Pushing Mechanism

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for transferring plate-shaped members with interleaving paper struggle to prevent adjacent plates and paper from being unintentionally stuck and lifted during transfer, leading to damage or littering issues due to static electricity.

Innovation Solution

A system incorporating suction pads, an air blowing device, and a pushing mechanism to adhere and lift the uppermost plate-shaped member while blowing air between it and the next plate to separate them, and using a pushing device to manage protruding paper edges, ensuring only the intended plate and paper are transferred.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If suction pads are used to transfer the uppermost plate-shaped member, then the plate can be efficiently transferred, but interleaving paper and the plate below may be unintentionally stuck and taken away together

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer efficiencyVSAvoidtransfer accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The pushing device performs preliminary action by pushing the protruding portions of interleaving paper back onto the plate surface before the suction pads lift the plate. This preliminary pushing action prevents the interleaving paper from being unintentionally adhered to the suction pads along with the plate below, thereby resolving the contradiction between transfer efficiency and transfer accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The pushing device applies preliminary anti-action by counteracting the tendency of interleaving paper to protrude and get stuck to the suction pads. By pushing the paper back onto the plate surface beforehand, the system prevents the harmful effect of unintended adhesion, ensuring only the intended plate and its interleaving paper are transferred

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Ease of operation

If the suction adhesion device is lifted upward to transfer the plate, then the plate can be moved to the destination, but protruding interleaving paper may fall and interfere with the device operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer operationVSAvoidinterleaving paper littering
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The pushing device performs preliminary action by pushing the protruding portions of interleving paper back onto the plate surface before the suction pads lift the plate. This preliminary pushing action prevents the interleaving paper from falling during transfer, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and prevention of harmful factors

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If multiple pieces of interleaving paper are pushed back onto the plates, then paper adhesion to the suction device is prevented, but the device structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer reliabilityVSAvoidpushing device structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pushing device is divided into multiple independent pushing members, each corresponding to a stack of plate-shaped members. This segmentation allows each pushing member to independently push the interleaving paper in its respective stack, achieving reliable paper management while keeping each individual pushing member structurally simple

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each pushing member is designed with universal functionality to handle interleaving paper in any stack of plate-shaped members. The pushing members can be applied to different positions and configurations, reducing the need for specialized complex structures for each specific application

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

Effectively transfers the uppermost plate-shaped member without taking adjacent plates or paper, preventing damage and littering, and allows for immediate removal of paper post-transfer without returning the device, reducing operational time.

Implementation Method 1

a suction adhesion device including a plurality of suction pads configured to adhere to a surface of an uppermost plate-shaped member among the plurality of plate-shaped members by suction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 2

an air blowing device configured to blow air between the adhered plate-shaped member and the plate-shaped member that is positioned below the adhered plate-shaped member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir flow:

Data Source

PatentEP2716584B1System for transferring plate-shaped member having slip sheet, and method for transferring same
Publication Date: 2017.09.13 KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KK
  • EP2716584B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2716584B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2716584B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a system (1) for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon, a suction adhesion device (33, 34) included in a suction adhesion unit (12) includes a plurality of suction pads (37) configured to adhere to a surface of a glass plate (2) by suction with interleaving paper (3) in between the surface and the suction pads (37); an air blowing device (14) blows air between the adhered glass plate (2) and a glass plate (2) positioned below the adhered glass plate (2); a robot (11) is configured to move the suction adhesion unit (12); a clamping device (15) includes a pair of pushing members (66) configured such that the pushing members (66) are arranged at both sides, respectively, of the glass plates (2) and move toward the glass plates (2) in such a manner as to come close to each other; and a controller (17) is configured such that, at least before the suction adhesion unit (12) lifts the adhered glass plate (2), the controller (17) causes the pair of pushing members (66) to move to push protruding portions of pieces of interleaving paper (3), the protruding portions protruding from the sides of the glass plates (2).