Mixed-Tray Transport Line With Adaptive Protrusion Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional transport devices are limited to transporting trays of the same type in a single line, requiring separate lines for different tray sizes or using unified large trays, leading to inefficiencies when handling articles of varying sizes.
Innovation Solution
A transport device equipped with a tray identification unit that recognizes tray types by shape, dimension, or identifiers, and a protrusion detection unit that adjusts detection ranges based on tray type, allowing mixed transport of different tray types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If trays of the same type are transported in the same transport line with fixed sensor positions, then the detection system is simple and reliable, but articles of different sizes cannot be efficiently transported and multiple transport lines are required
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor positions are made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The detection system can change sensor positions based on the detected tray type, allowing a single transport line to efficiently handle multiple tray sizes and article configurations without requiring multiple dedicated lines
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of sensor position based on tray type identification. By detecting which type of tray is on the conveyor and adjusting sensor positions accordingly, the system adapts to different tray configurations, enabling efficient transport of various article sizes on the same line
2Adaptability or versatility
If unified large trays are used to transport articles of maximum size, then a single transport line can handle all article sizes, but the transport efficiency for smaller articles decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using static unified large trays, the system dynamically identifies the actual tray type being used and adjusts sensor positions accordingly. This allows smaller trays to be used for smaller articles, maintaining optimal transport efficiency while still accommodating various article sizes through adaptive detection
Solution Approach 2:
The detection system is designed to be universal, handling multiple tray types with a single transport line. By making the detection system multi-functional and adaptable to different tray configurations, the system achieves both versatility in handling various tray sizes and maintained transport efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A transport device transports a plurality of trays of different types on which articles can be placed. The transport device includes a tray identification sensor that identifies the types of trays, and protrusion detection sensors that detect articles that are placed protruding from the trays. The tray identification sensor identifies the types of trays by detecting the characteristics of the trays. The protrusion detection sensors detect the articles according to the types of the trays identified by the tray identification sensor.