Object Orienting Device With Seating Tracks And Escape Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing object orienting systems in industrial production face challenges in achieving high orientation speed and accurately orienting irregularly shaped objects, leading to a significant number of objects being improperly oriented and ejected, which limits the actual orientation speed and causes accidental escape from the orienting seats.

Innovation Solution

The object orienting device incorporates seating tracks and an escape-preventing surface to align objects properly into orienting seats and prevent accidental ejection, utilizing a rotating plate with inclined seating sectors and pneumatic assistance to enhance orientation speed and accuracy, while maintaining both vertical and angular orientations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If a compressed air ejection blower is used to eject improperly oriented objects, then the orienting speed can be maintained, but the number of objects properly received into seats decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveorienting speedVSAvoidnumber of objects properly received
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The seating tracks are positioned upstream of the orienting seats to perform preliminary alignment of objects before they enter the seats. This preliminary action ensures that objects are already properly oriented when they reach the seats, reducing the need for ejection and increasing the number of successfully oriented objects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The seating tracks act as an intermediary element between the object flow and the orienting seats. These tracks guide and align objects before they enter the seats, serving as a mediator that improves orientation quality without requiring aggressive ejection mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the orienting seats are designed to receive objects, then the orientation function is provided, but accidentally oriented objects may escape from the seats

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveorientation functionVSAvoidaccidental escape of objects
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The escape-preventing surface is positioned to counteract the harmful effect of object escape before it occurs. By providing a physical barrier upstream, the system prevents accidentally oriented objects from escaping the seating area, maintaining reliable orientation while blocking escape paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Reliability

If seating tracks are introduced to align objects, then the number of properly oriented objects increases, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of objects properly receivedVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The seating tracks are integrated with the orienting seats to form a unified structure. By merging these components, the system achieves improved object alignment without requiring separate, independent track systems, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This solution significantly increases the number of objects properly received into seats, enhances orientation speed, and reduces accidental escape, ensuring more efficient and accurate object orientation.

Implementation Method 1

a compressed air ejection blower that addresses a compressed air jet towards the objects seated in the orienting seats so as to eject the objects with a vertical orientation other than that desired from the orienting seat

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompressed air ejection: Jet

Implementation Method 2

a succession of orienting seats movable along a handling path, wherein each orienting seat is suitable for respectively receiving one of such objects both in a desired vertical orientation and in a vertical orientation other than that desired

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravitation: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP2404849B1Object orienting device
Publication Date: 2013.08.28 BONINO S P A CON UNICO AZIONISTA
  • EP2404849B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2404849B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2404849B1 patent drawingFigure 5A~6B

AI summary

An orienting device for orienting objects (2) comprises a support structure, a succession of orienting seats (4) suitable for seating the objects (2), a seat support (5) carrying the succession of orienting seats (4) and defining a handling path of the objects (2), means for moving the succession of orienting seats (4) in a movement direction along the handling path, orienting means arranged along the handling path and configured so as to eject the objects (2) having an orientation differing from the desired orientation from the orienting seats (4), as well as a plurality of seating tracks (47) integral with the orienting seats (4), wherein each seating track (47) comprises a channel (48) aligned with and leading into one of said orienting seats (4) and two side guiding walls (23).