Ordered food and drink conveying apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food and drink conveying apparatuses with wide conveying paths are inefficient when used in limited spaces, as they cannot effectively handle both large and small dishes or trays, leading to decreased conveyance efficiency and wasted space.
Innovation Solution
A controller-managed system that synchronizes or asynchronizes the motions of multiple side-by-side conveyors based on the size of the dishes or trays, allowing for efficient conveyance of various sizes without the need for a wide conveyor, by selecting between synchronous and asynchronous modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conveying path having a relatively large breadth is provided to convey large dishes or trays, then large dishes or trays can be conveyed, but the space for the conveying apparatus becomes futile and area within the limited space of store cannot be effectively utilized
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying path is divided into multiple separate conveyors (first conveyor and second conveyor) arranged side by side. Instead of using a single wide conveyor, the system segments the conveying function across multiple narrower conveyors, allowing flexible accommodation of both large and small dishes while minimizing the total space occupied by the conveying apparatus.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a conveying path having a relatively large breadth is provided, then large dishes or trays can be conveyed, but conveyance efficiency decreases when customer seats are provided on both sides of the conveying path
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically controls the motion of multiple conveyors based on the size of the dish or tray being conveyed. When a large dish straddles both conveyors, the conveyors are controlled to move synchronously. When small dishes are conveyed on a single conveyor, the conveyors can operate asynchronously, allowing simultaneous conveyance to customer seats on both sides, thereby improving conveyance efficiency.
3Productivity
If multiple conveyors are arranged side-by-side, then various sizes of dishes or trays can be conveyed efficiently, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple conveyors are arranged side by side to create a universal conveying system that can handle both large dishes (by straddling both conveyors) and small dishes (by using a single conveyor). This multi-functional arrangement allows the same conveying apparatus to adapt to various dish sizes and conveying scenarios, improving productivity while managing complexity through standardized conveyor units.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses an ordered food and drink conveying apparatus capable of restricting an exclusive area and improving conveyance efficiency while enabling conveyance of large and small dishes or trays having various sizes. The ordered food and drink conveying apparatus disclosed by the present application includes: a plurality of conveyors being arranged in a side-by-side relationship and conveying foods and drinks to customer seats from a kitchen; and a controller controlling motions of the plurality of conveyors, synchronizing the motions of the plurality of conveyors in a first mode selected when there are foods and drinks being so placed as to straddle the plurality of conveyors, and asynchronizing the motions of the plurality of conveyors in a second mode selected when there are none of the foods and the drinks being so placed as to straddle the plurality of conveyors.