Overhead Conveyor System for Packaging Trays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyor systems for processing food products, particularly in the meat industry, are inefficient due to high labor costs, space consumption, susceptibility to malfunctions, and limitations in distributing products based on specific information like origin and quality, leading to potential quality deterioration and complex operations.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor system utilizing a chain of trolleys connected to a rail with a control system that determines tray positions and receives product information, allowing selective importing and exporting of packaging trays, enabling controlled distribution and treatment based on product characteristics, and reducing manual handling and space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manual handling of packaging trays is used at import and export stations, then product damage is prevented, but labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated conveyor system that uses controlled mechanical forces. The conveyor belt and guide rails automatically transport trays through the packaging process, eliminating the need for staff to manually place and remove trays while maintaining gentle handling to prevent damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system is designed to automatically perform the functions previously requiring manual intervention. The system self-regulates tray movement, positioning, and transfer between stations without human input, achieving both automation and careful handling through programmed control mechanisms.
2Productivity
If conventional conveyor belts are used, then trays can be conveyed, but floor space is excessively occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a floor-based conveyor system to an overhead suspended conveyor system. By moving the conveyor mechanism to the vertical dimension (suspended from the ceiling), the system maintains full tray conveyance capability while freeing up floor space for other production activities.
3Length of stationary object
If multiple conveyors are connected to span large distances, then coverage is increased, but system complexity and susceptibility to malfunction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The overhead conveyor system is designed as a single unified mechanism that can span long distances without requiring multiple separate conveyor units. The system incorporates adjustable belt lengths and modular components that allow one conveyor to perform the function of multiple conveyors, reducing complexity while maintaining coverage.
4Adaptability or versatility
If products are conveyed repeatedly along export stations in a buffer, then distribution flexibility is achieved, but product quality deteriorates over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a control system that tracks each tray's position and history through the export stations. The system uses feedback mechanisms to monitor how long trays have been in the buffer and automatically prioritizes their export based on quality considerations, ensuring that trays waiting longest are exported first before quality deteriorates.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to conveyor system (1) for conveying packaging trays (2), for food products for example, from one or more import stations (3) to one or more export stations (4). The conveyor system is provided with an endless conveyor track comprising a rail (5), a multiplicity of trolleys which are movably connected to the rail (5), and a multiplicity of tray carriers (7) which are each coupled to the rail (5) via at least one trolley. Each tray carrier (7) is provided with a support member, preferably a support platform, configured for supporting at least one packaging tray. The use of a conveyor system (1) of this type for conveying packaging trays has the advantage over the use of a roll track, for example, that the system takes up relatively little floor space. Preferably, the import stations (3) and the export stations (4) are provided with an import device and export device respectively for feeding, in a position with a substantially horizontal orientation, the packaging trays into and out of the tray carriers. This allows open trays to be conveyed.