Horizontal Track Supply for Heavy Food-Ingredient Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic container supply apparatuses fail to efficiently handle heavy, sturdy food-ingredient storage containers due to repeated impacts causing apparatus failure and require multiple conveyor devices with separate drive motors, increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
An automatic supply apparatus that arranges food-ingredient storage containers horizontally and uses an infinite track unit with a chain or belt mechanism, holders, grippers, and a robot arm to sequentially withdraw containers, eliminating the need for separate drive motors on each conveyor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If storage containers are stacked in height direction and withdrawn one by one, then container supply is achieved, but repeated impacts cause apparatus failure due to heavy container weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical stacking (height direction) to horizontal arrangement (horizontal direction) of storage containers. This dimensional change allows the robot arm to access containers without causing repeated impacts to drive parts, as containers are pulled horizontally along a conveyor mechanism rather than being stacked and withdrawn vertically.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical stacking and withdrawal system with a conveyor-based horizontal transport system. The conveyor belt or chain mechanism gently transports containers horizontally, eliminating the need for forceful vertical withdrawal and reducing impacts on drive parts.
2Productivity
If multiple conveyor devices are provided to stack large number of storage containers, then container supply capability is improved, but costs increase due to separate drive motors required for each conveyor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple conveyor functions into a single integrated conveyor system. Instead of providing separate conveyor devices for each container stack, a single conveyor belt or chain transports multiple containers horizontally in sequence, eliminating the need for multiple separate drive motors and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it transports containers horizontally, positions them for robot arm retrieval, and enables sequential access to multiple container stacks. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated conveyors for each container group.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic supply apparatus for a food-ingredient storage container includes an infinite track unit including a chain or a belt (hereinafter, collectively referred to as ‘the chain’), multiple holders configured to be connected to the chain and to move together with the chain, with multiple holders allowing storage containers to be respectively seated therein, a holding part formed on each of the holders, a gripper configured to be capable of gripping each of the storage containers seated by the holder, a robot arm configured to move the gripper in a first direction and in a direction (hereinafter, referred to as ‘a second direction’) opposite to the first direction, and a suspensor formed on the gripper and configured to move together with the gripper, wherein the suspensor is held by the holding part when the gripper moves in the second direction while the gripper grips the storage container.