Glass Rack Rotary Transfer System for Safe Panel Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for transferring glass panels from production lines to transport vehicles are inefficient and prone to damage, lacking a comprehensive solution for safe and quick handling.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a glass frame lafette with a rotary device and stabilization mechanisms, along with a lifting system, enables the safe and quick transfer of glass panels by rotating the glass frame for loading and unloading, using grippers and detectors to ensure accurate positioning and detection of defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If glass panels are transferred using conventional holding mechanisms and manual handling, then the transfer process is simple in structure, but the transfer speed is slow and the risk of damage is high
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer system is divided into multiple independent glass racks that can operate in parallel on separate rails. Each rack is a self-contained unit that can be loaded, transported, and unloaded independently, enabling simultaneous processing of multiple glass panels and significantly increasing transfer speed without requiring a single complex centralized mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
Glass racks serve as intermediary carriers between the production line and storage/transport areas. These racks mediate the transfer process by receiving glass panels from the production line via suction cup grippers, transporting them along rails, and delivering them to destination points, thereby decoupling the production line from the storage system and enabling continuous high-speed operation
2Adaptability or versatility
If glass panels are rotated and tilted during transport to access different sides, then all sides of the glass can be processed, but the stability of the glass panels decreases and damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The glass rack is designed with dynamic positioning capabilities including rotation and tilting mechanisms that can be activated only when needed for loading or unloading specific sides of the glass panels. During the majority of the transport and stacking process, the rack maintains a stable fixed position, providing structural support and minimizing damage risk while still enabling versatile access to all glass surfaces when required
Solution Approach 2:
Rotation and tilting of the glass rack occur periodically at specific stages of the process (during loading and unloading operations) rather than continuously. The rack alternates between stable transport positions and rotated/tilted access positions, providing versatility when needed while maintaining stability during critical transport phases to prevent glass damage
3Quantity of substance
If multiple glass panels are stacked together for efficient transport, then the transport capacity increases, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring individual panel defects increases
Solution Approach 1:
Glass panels are inspected for defects using sensors and detectors before being loaded onto the glass racks. This preliminary detection ensures that only quality-verified panels are stacked together for transport, eliminating the need to inspect individual panels after stacking and maintaining high transport capacity while ensuring quality control
Solution Approach 2:
Sensor systems and detectors integrated into the glass rack system provide continuous feedback about the position, orientation, and integrity of stacked glass panels during transport. This feedback mechanism enables real-time monitoring of multiple panels in the stack, allowing for immediate detection of any issues while maintaining efficient multi-panel transport
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 facilitates rapid and damage-free transfer of glass panels by stabilizing the glass frames during rotation and loading, utilizing sensors and detectors to ensure precise handling and identification of defects, enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
holding mechanisms, usually in the form of a sturdy frame, are moved toward the glass panel in question and connected to it via suction cups
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device and to a method for safely and quickly transferring new glass sheets from the production line to a transport vehicle, having the following features; a) a glass-sheet roller conveyor (8) having a glass-rack gripping and stacking device (7) for receiving glass sheets (9) from a production line, b) two parallel running rails (12) extending centrically at a right angle toward the glass-sheet roller conveyor (8), an underfloor energy supply rail (24) being arranged in the region between the running rails (12), c) at least one glass-rack carriage (3), which moves on the running rails (12) and which has at least one glass rack (4, 6) lying on said glass-rack carriage, a glass rack (4, 6) being able to be loaded with obliquely positioned glass sheets (9) and the glass racks (4, 6) being fixed in the oblique position by means of a pivoting device (14), and d) a rotary device (2) arranged in the course of the running rails for rotating a glass-rack carriage (3) by 180 degrees for loading one glass-rack carriage (3) at a time.