Linear Deconsolidation Conveyor with Angular Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing deconsolidator technologies face challenges in achieving reliable and efficient product deconsolidation at high speeds without causing product falls, particularly due to issues with speed differentials, curved conveyor designs, and excessive pressure leading to column instability and breakage.
Innovation Solution
A deconsolidation device with a linear conveyor system featuring a fast portion and a slow portion, where the fast portion has an angularly oriented upstream guide to gradually direct products toward the slow portion, maintaining a steady and uniform speed direction, reducing transverse movement and pressure, and employing dynamic deformation of the upstream guide to minimize product destabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If curved conveyor design is used to transfer products from fast to slow portion, then product transfer is enabled, but product stability deteriorates and fall risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system is segmented into distinct functional zones: a fast portion for high-speed single-line product movement, a slow portion for bulk configuration, and a transition zone with gradual speed differential. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized independently, maintaining product stability while enabling efficient transfer and deconsolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying full speed differential immediately, the invention uses a gradual, partial speed differential in the transition zone. The fast portion operates at high speed for most of its length, then gradually reduces speed near the transition point, preventing sudden product destabilization while still achieving effective deconsolidation.
2Productivity
If significant speed gradient is applied to achieve deconsolidation over short distance, then productivity improves, but product pressure increases causing column breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The speed gradient is segmented into multiple stages rather than applied uniformly. The transition zone progressively reduces speed from the fast portion level to the slow portion level, distributing the pressure load across multiple smaller increments rather than one large gradient, thus preventing column breakage while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system dynamically adjusts speed across different zones and time. The fast portion maintains high speed for efficient product movement, while the transition zone dynamically reduces speed to manage pressure, and the slow portion operates at lower speed for bulk configuration. This dynamic speed management enables both high productivity and pressure control.
3Productivity
If transverse movement is applied to redirect products to slow portion, then deconsolidation is achieved, but product falls increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention primarily uses longitudinal speed differential rather than transverse movement to achieve deconsolidation. By varying speed along the conveyor length (longitudinal dimension) rather than redirecting products transversely, the system achieves effective deconsolidation while minimizing falls. The transition zone creates a controlled longitudinal speed change that naturally guides products from fast to slow portion without violent transverse deflection.
Data Source
AI summary
A device (1) for conveying products, has a first conveying portion (2), referred to as a quick portion (2), and a second conveying portion (3), referred to as a slow portion (3), in which the products then circulate in a linear fashion in a longitudinal conveying direction (4), normally slower than in the quick portion (2). The products circulate from the quick portion (2) towards the slow portion (3), in which they are then organized into a flow that is wider than in the quick portion (2), the quick portion (2) and the slow portion (3) being placed next to one another. Upstream from the slow portion (3), the quick portion (2) has an upstream guide (5) which is directed angularly towards the slow portion (3). A method for implementing the device is also described.