Gripping Orientation Device for Compact, Low-Impact Packaging Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orientation devices for loose products in packaging manufacturing lines are large in size due to high conveyor belt speeds required for high production rates, and the need for slow pusher movements to avoid product damage, leading to increased space requirements and prolonged orientation times.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor belt system with gripping equipment that includes a support body and gripping head, which rotates the product while being picked up and transported at the same speed as the conveyor belt, minimizing impact and collision risks, and uses a fluid-operated system for gripping and orientation, reducing the overall device size and orientation time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high conveyor belt speeds are used to maintain high production rates, then productivity is improved, but the device length and setup space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the conveyor belt speed variable rather than constant. The control unit adjusts the conveyor belt speed dynamically: increasing it during transport phases and decreasing it during orientation phases. This allows the system to maintain high productivity overall while reducing the device length by synchronizing belt speed with operational requirements, eliminating the need for excessively long conveyors that would be required if high speed were maintained throughout the entire cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of conveyor belt speed from a fixed high value to a variable parameter that adapts to different operational phases. The control unit modifies the belt speed parameter based on real-time requirements: high speed for efficient product transport, low speed for precise orientation operations. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction by allowing high productivity without requiring the device to be excessively long.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If slow pusher movements are used to avoid product damage, then product safety is improved, but orientation time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action through the cyclic engagement and disengagement of pushers with the conveyor belt. Pushers are activated only during specific phases when products need orientation, and remain disengaged during high-speed transport phases. This periodic interaction allows slow, careful pusher movements for product safety while maintaining high overall productivity by minimizing the time pushers are active and maximizing high-speed transport intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by ensuring that while pushers are slow during orientation, the conveyor belt continues moving at high speed throughout the cycle. The system eliminates idle time by coordinating pusher activation with belt movement, so that orientation operations occur continuously without stopping the overall production flow. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining high productivity through continuous operation while protecting products during critical orientation moments.
3Productivity
If high conveyor belt speeds are used, then productivity is improved, but product orientation precision decreases due to increased impact and collision risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making conveyor belt speed adaptive rather than constant. The control unit dynamically adjusts belt speed based on the operational phase: high speed during transport to maintain productivity, and reduced speed during orientation phases to ensure precision. This dynamic speed adjustment allows the system to achieve both high productivity and high orientation precision by matching belt speed to the specific requirements of each operational moment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by reducing conveyor belt speed before orientation operations begin. The control unit anticipates the need for precision orientation and proactively slows the belt speed in advance of the orientation phase. This preliminary speed reduction prevents impact and collision risks before they occur, ensuring high orientation precision while maintaining high overall productivity through efficient high-speed transport during non-orientation phases.
Data Source
AI summary
An orientation device for orienting loose products for a packaging manufacturing line including a conveyor belt movable at a transport speed along an advancement direction between entry and exit stations, a plurality of gripping equipment each including a support body and a gripping head, a transport track to which the support bodies are connected, and wherein the transport track includes an active branch extending parallel to the conveyor belt, spaced from the conveyor belt and completely contained between the entry and exit stations. Each gripping head is rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the conveyor belt and configured to pick up and hold a product transported by the conveyor belt. Each support body is movable parallel to the rotation axis of the respective gripping head between an approached condition and a distanced condition. Each support body moves along the active branch with a speed equal to the transport speed.