Puck Routing Device Using Segmented Teeth for Empty Discard
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging systems face inefficiencies due to the inability to reliably distinguish and discard empty pucks from full pucks, leading to unnecessary downtime in filling machines as empty pucks are conveyed to the filling stage, which slows down the overall productivity of the packaging lines.
Innovation Solution
A device with vertically movable teeth arranged in two lines, one for guiding full pucks and another for discarding empty pucks, coordinated by a control unit to ensure accurate routing and prevent empty pucks from reaching the filling stage, maintaining high-speed bottle feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a selection device is added to distinguish and discard empty pucks, then the reliability of the filling process is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The selection device segments the puck flow into two distinct paths: a first path for full pucks and a second path for empty pucks. This is achieved by dividing the selection surface into multiple zones with different tooth configurations, allowing automatic separation of pucks based on their state without requiring complex detection and control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses the physical difference between full and empty pucks (presence or absence of a bottle) to enable self-separation. The asymmetric tooth arrangement on the selection surface automatically guides full pucks along the first path and empty pucks along the second path without requiring external detection mechanisms or complex control logic.
2Productivity
If the selection device operates at high speed to maintain productivity, then the productivity is improved, but the manufacturing precision of the tooth arrangement must be extremely high
Solution Approach 1:
The selection surface is segmented into multiple zones with progressively different tooth arrangements. This segmentation allows the device to handle high speeds by distributing the selection function across multiple simpler tooth patterns rather than requiring one complex high-precision arrangement, making manufacturing more feasible while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device accommodates dynamic puck movement at high speeds by using a rotating selection surface with pre-configured tooth arrangements. The dynamic rotation allows the puck to be guided along predetermined paths without requiring real-time high-precision adjustments, thereby maintaining both speed and manufacturing feasibility.
3Reliability
If teeth are extracted and retracted in a controlled sequence, then the reliability of puck routing is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth arrangements on the selection surface are pre-configured in specific patterns during manufacturing. This preliminary arrangement of teeth in different zones eliminates the need for complex real-time control mechanisms, as the tooth patterns automatically guide full and empty pucks along the correct paths based on their physical state alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-configured tooth patterns enable the device to perform self-guiding of pucks without external control. The asymmetric tooth arrangements naturally direct full pucks to the first path and empty pucks to the second path through physical guidance alone, eliminating the need for complex actuation and control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for selecting and discarding pucks (2,3) for holding bottles (1) with a support and travel plane (110), a plurality of teeth (120) where the teeth (120) are arranged in the plane (110) to form a routing path towards a discarding path (OUT2) for discarding empty pucks (2) without a bottle (1) and a routing path towards an exit path (OUT3) for outputting full pucks (3) containing a bottle (1).