Holder Conveying Device Segmented Arm Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing holder conveying apparatuses face challenges in efficiently separating a leading holder from a row of holders for communication or destination control, requiring complex mechanisms such as fan-shaped rotating plates or cylindrical members.

Innovation Solution

A holder conveying apparatus with a movable member rotating about a vertical shaft, featuring a front arm that retreats to allow forward movement of one holder and advances to restrict the next, and a rear arm that advances to restrict the previous holder's movement, enabling simple separation of the leading holder from the row.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If fan-shaped rotating plates or cylindrical members are used to separate the leading holder, then the separation function is achieved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveholder separation capabilityVSAvoidseparation mechanism structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The movable member is segmented into a front arm and a rear arm that can independently move relative to each other. The front arm restricts forward movement of the (n+1)th holder while the rear arm restricts forward movement of the nth holder, enabling separation through coordinated action of segmented components rather than a complex single structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a complex rotating plate or cylindrical member to actively push holders apart, the invention inverts the approach by using arms that selectively restrict movement. The arms create separation by preventing movement rather than actively separating, simplifying the mechanism while achieving the same functional result

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Device complexity

If a movable member with front arm and rear arm is used, then the separation mechanism is simplified, but the control complexity of arm coordination increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseparation mechanism structureVSAvoidarm movement coordination

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The front arm and rear arm are merged into a single movable member that rotates together about the vertical rotational shaft. This integration ensures that the arms move in a coordinated fashion through simple rotation, eliminating the need for complex independent control systems while maintaining the separation function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The movable member transitions between different postures (first posture and second posture) through rotation, dynamically changing which holders are restricted and which are allowed to move. This dynamic reconfiguration simplifies the control logic compared to static complex mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11255867B2Holder conveying device

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 HITACHI HIGH TECH CORP

AI summary

A movable piece includes a front arm and a rear arm. In a first process, the front arm retreats from a conveying path to permit forward movement of an n-th holder, and in a second process advances into the conveying path to restrict forward movement of an n+1-th holder. In the first process, the rear arm advances into the conveying path to restrict forward movement of the n-th holder, and in the second process retreats from the conveying path 18 to permit forward movement of the n-th holder. Midway through the second process, the n-th holder 84 is positioned in a reference stopping position.