Movable Chute for High-Speed Article Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stacking devices face issues with article detachment during high-speed infeed, leading to malfunctions and incorrect stacking, particularly when the chute must move quickly downwards.
Innovation Solution
A device with a feeding conveyor equipped with contact elements and multiple conveying planes of different heights, along with a movable surface directed by a drive and control unit, allows for selective connection and disconnection of these planes to maintain article alignment and stability during high-speed infeed, using a cyclic operating sequence to manage article transfer between planes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the chute is moved at high speed to handle high infeed rates, then productivity is improved, but article detachment occurs causing malfunctions and incorrect stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The chute is made movable between different positions (first position connected to infeed conveyor, second position connected to stacking conveyor) rather than fixed. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt to different operational phases, enabling high-speed operation while maintaining proper article support and preventing detachment during transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares the chute in advance by positioning it in the first position connected to the infeed conveyor before articles arrive, allowing articles to be fed onto the chute at high speed. The chute then transitions to the second position to deposit articles onto the stacking conveyor, ensuring proper timing and preventing detachment through pre-positioning.
2Speed
If the chute moves quickly downwards to maintain high speed operation, then productivity is improved, but article detachment occurs during the downward movement
Solution Approach 1:
The chute's ability to move dynamically between positions allows for controlled downward movement at high speed while maintaining article support. The movable design enables the chute to accelerate and decelerate smoothly, preventing article detachment during the downward transition phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable chute acts as an intermediary element between the infeed conveyor and stacking conveyor. During downward movement, it maintains contact with articles while transitioning positions, serving as a buffer that prevents direct impact and detachment between the high-speed moving components and the articles.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple conveying planes are used to improve stacking capability, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable chute serves multiple functions: it acts as a transfer surface between conveyors, a positioning mechanism, and a support structure for articles. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each stacking operation, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining adaptability across multiple conveying planes.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic, movable design of the chute allows a single component to interact with multiple conveying planes (first position with infeed conveyor, second position with stacking conveyor) rather than requiring fixed, separate structures for each plane. This dynamic approach simplifies the device architecture while maintaining the ability to handle multiple stacking configurations.
Data Source
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Figure 3~5
AI summary
Described is a device (1) for stacking articles, comprising: - a feeding conveyor (2) equipped with a plurality of contact elements (3A, 3B, 3C), each designed to make contact with a single article (A) in order to convey it along a conveying path (PC); - a first transport surface (4), configured to support the articles (A) along a first portion (PC1) of the conveying path; - a predetermined number of conveying planes (P1, P2, P3) for supporting the articles (A) along a second portion (PC2) of the conveying path which follows the first portion (PC1) of the conveying path, comprising at least: - a first conveying plane (P1) positioned at a first height; - a second conveying plane (P2) positioned at a second height, which is different from and higher than the first height; - a movable surface (5) for directing articles (A), which is movable at least between a number of positions equal to the predetermined number of conveying planes (P1, P2, P3), to selectively and alternatively connect the first transport surface (4) with one of the conveying planes (P1, P2, P3).