Robot End Effector With Inverted Tube Packing for Fruit Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Packing fruit in tubes is inefficient and can cause damage due to physical impacts during insertion, requiring a time-consuming process that increases costs.
Innovation Solution
An end effector for a robot positioning apparatus that holds a tube in an inverted orientation, using actuatable movable elements to facilitate the insertion of fruit and secure them within the tube, combined with a holding arrangement to prevent damage during rotation and packing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fruit is packed one at a time into the tube, then the fruit can be securely positioned without damage, but the packing process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The tube is inverted during packing, with the open end facing downward. This preliminary orientation allows gravity to assist in guiding multiple fruits into the tube simultaneously or in quick succession, rather than requiring careful placement of each fruit individually. The inverted position enables batch loading while maintaining fruit integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube is held in an inverted orientation (open end down, closed end up) during the packing operation. This inversion fundamentally changes the packing approach: fruits are introduced from below rather than from above, allowing multiple fruits to be loaded efficiently while gravity naturally guides them into the tube without causing impact damage.
2Productivity
If multiple fruits are inserted into the tube simultaneously, then packing efficiency increases, but physical impacts cause damage to the fruits
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the tube during packing, the open end faces downward and fruits are introduced from below. This inversion allows multiple fruits to enter the tube simultaneously or in quick succession without colliding with each other, as they are guided in by gravity rather than being dropped from above. The closed end of the tube acts as a gentle stop, preventing excessive force.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube is pre-oriented in the inverted position before fruit insertion begins. This preliminary setup creates optimal conditions for damage-free multi-fruit loading, as the geometry and orientation are prepared in advance to guide fruits smoothly into the tube without impact.
3Device complexity
If the tube is held in a conventional upright orientation, then the packing process is simpler, but fruit insertion causes impact damage and the process is slower
Solution Approach 1:
The tube is held inverted (open end down) rather than upright. This inverted orientation, while requiring a slight modification to the packing setup, enables damage-free fruit insertion by allowing fruits to be guided into the tube from below without impact. The added complexity of inverting the tube is minimal compared to the significant improvement in fruit integrity.
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
Enables efficient and damage-free packing of fruit in tubes by minimizing physical impacts and ensuring secure retention during the packing process, reducing time and costs.
Implementation Method 1
the actuatable movable element is made from a soft resilient material and is elastically deformable between a first shape when in the extended position and a second shape when in the retracted position
Data Source
AI summary
An end effector adapted to be carried by a robot positioning apparatus for packing items of produce, the end effector adapted in use for holding an open topped elongate container (tube) in an inverted orientation, wherein the tube has a closed bottom end and an open top end; the end effector comprising: at least one actuatable movable element located on the end effector so as to be adjacent the open end of a tube held by the end effector; wherein the actuatable movable element is configured to be operable between: an extended position which at least partially extends over the open end of a tube held by the end effector to at least partially obstruct the open end of the tube; and a retracted position so that the open end of the container is substantially unobstructed to allow items of produce to be received in the tube.