Insect Sorting Conveyor With Sloped Belt for Gravity Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for sorting crawling insects, such as Coleoptera, Isoptera, Blattoptera, and Hemiptera, are inefficient and complex, particularly in large-scale insect rearing, where manual sorting is time-consuming and existing equipment is not effective.
Innovation Solution
A belt conveyor system with a sloped end portion and adjustable inclination, combined with a mechanism for insect attachment and detachment, enhances the sorting efficiency by allowing insects to cling to the conveyor belt while other components fall by gravity, using a belt with specific surface texture and cleaning mechanisms to maintain effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual sorting methods are used, then sorting can be performed, but productivity is low and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical sorting with an automated belt conveyor system that uses gravitational forces and surface adhesion to separate insects. The conveyor belt transports insects while a separating device (such as a brush or blade) mechanically detaches them from the belt, eliminating the need for manual handling and significantly increasing sorting speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The sorting system utilizes the insects' own physical characteristics (leg structure that allows them to cling to surfaces) and gravitational forces to achieve separation automatically. The insects themselves adhere to the belt through their leg morphology, and the system leverages this natural property along with gravity to sort them without requiring complex external mechanisms or manual intervention.
2Reliability
If existing insect sorting equipment is used, then sorting can be performed, but sorting effectiveness is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface properties to different parts of the conveyor belt. The belt surface is designed with specific characteristics (such as texture or material properties) that enhance adhesion for insect legs, while the separating device has localized properties optimized for detaching insects. This localized optimization of surface qualities improves sorting effectiveness by ensuring strong attachment during transport and efficient detachment at the separation point.
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes parameters such as belt speed, inclination angle, and separating device characteristics to maximize sorting effectiveness. By adjusting the belt's movement parameters and the separating device's properties, the system achieves high recovery rates while maintaining efficient processing speeds.
3Reliability
If insects cling to the conveyor belt, then separation from mixture is improved, but mechanical wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a conveyor belt made from durable but replaceable materials that can withstand the clinging action of insects. The belt is designed to be relatively simple and can be easily replaced when worn, rather than attempting to make it permanently indestructible. This approach accepts that the belt will experience mechanical wear from insect attachment and detachment cycles, but ensures it remains cost-effective and maintainable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates design features that cushion or protect the belt from excessive mechanical wear. The separating device is positioned and designed to gently detach insects without creating excessive friction or stress on the belt. The belt's material properties are selected to resist wear from insect legs and the separating mechanism, extending its operational life while maintaining insect recovery effectiveness.
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 system achieves high recovery rates of crawling insects, up to 95% by mass, by optimizing the sorting process with multiple conveyors and adjusting parameters for different insect species and stages, ensuring minimal mechanical wear and efficient separation.
Implementation Method 1
the rest of the mixture falls by gravity
Implementation Method 2
an end portion, adjacent the second end, having a downward inclination, comprised between 20° and 90° relative to the rest of the upper surface of the conveyor
Data Source
AI summary
An insect sorting device, machine, and use thereof, which improves sorting efficacy by prompting the insects to cling onto the belt, comprising a belt conveyor (2) having an upper surface (5) and a lower surface (6) formed by the belt (3) of the conveyor (2). When the belt (3) is turned over to pass onto the lower surface (6) of the conveyor (2) all or some of the insects of a mixture remain attached to the belt (3) while the rest of the mixture falls by gravity. The upper surface (5) of the conveyor (2) being substantially flat and horizontal over a majority of its length between the first end (7) and the second end (8), it comprises an end portion (14), adjacent the second end (8), having a downward inclination, comprised between 20° and 90° relative to the rest of the upper surface (5) of the conveyor (2).