Perpendicular Feed Conveyor for Precise Product Batching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for forming product batches, particularly for loading food products like sausages, are unsuitable for non-rigid items and fail to provide precise transverse positioning, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage during loading.
Innovation Solution
A device with a first conveyor featuring endless belts and blades for housing products, a second feed conveyor arranged perpendicular to the first, and stop means for precise lateral loading, ensuring correct positioning and alignment of products within the housings, allowing for the loading of elongate and fragile items like sausages without damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the second endless belt conveyor transfers products through the open exterior side of the housings, then the device can handle flat and robust products, but it cannot provide precise transverse positioning and is unsuitable for non-rigid products
Solution Approach 1:
The feed conveyor is arranged perpendicular to the housing conveyor, bringing products through an open lateral side of the housings instead of through the open exterior side. This inversion of the loading direction enables precise transverse positioning by allowing products to be fed laterally against stop means, solving the contradiction between versatility and positioning precision.
2Device complexity
If the feed conveyor is arranged parallel to the housing conveyor, then the structure is simple, but precise transverse positioning of products in the housings cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The feed conveyor is arranged perpendicular to the housing conveyor, changing the spatial dimension of product feeding from parallel to lateral approach. This dimensional change enables precise transverse positioning through the lateral opening of housings while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through the use of stop means.
3Device complexity
If conventional loading methods are used for non-rigid products, then the device can maintain simple structure, but products may be damaged and alignment cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
Stop means are provided in the housing conveyor to preliminarily position products in the correct transverse location before the housing moves along the conveyor. This preliminary positioning action ensures that non-rigid products like sausages are correctly aligned and protected from damage throughout the conveying and batching process, while maintaining simple device structure.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for forming batches of products to be loaded into receptacles, including: a conveyer having housings including two links supporting a plurality of pallets defining housings between same: a supply conveyer arranged substantially perpendicular to the housing conveyer and capable of transporting products one behind the other and of supplying at least one product in each housing to a loading station via one Open lateral side of said housings, the housing conveyer being provided with abutment means arranged on the lateral side of the housing opposite the supply conveyer and used as an abutment for the product to be loaded into each housing: and unloading means capable of simultaneously unloading a batch of products from a series of housings of the housing conveyer at an unloading station.