Robot-Assisted Pocket Sorter Station Lateral Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional loading and/or discharge stations for pocket sites face challenges in reliable operation at high bag handling speeds, as the bags need to be swung out of the vertical conveyor rail to expose the upper opening, leading to increased torque and force requirements.
Innovation Solution
A loading and/or discharge station with a pocket supply and a robot that maintains the bag's alignment during loading and unloading, using a special rail for continuous movement and minimizing external forces, especially torque around the vertical axis, to facilitate access through open side walls or the upper opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pocket is pivoted out of the vertical alignment of the conveyor rail to expose the upper opening for loading/unloading, then the accessibility of the pocket interior is improved, but the forces and torques acting on the pocket increase significantly at high conveyor speeds
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pivoting the pocket horizontally to access the upper opening, the invention inverts the approach by maintaining vertical alignment and accessing the pocket through its side walls. The robot arm reaches laterally into the pocket interior while the pocket remains vertically oriented on the conveyor rail, eliminating the need for horizontal pivoting and the associated centrifugal forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from horizontal access (pivoting the pocket to expose the upper opening) to lateral access (reaching through the side walls). By changing the dimension of approach from the top-down horizontal plane to the lateral vertical plane, the system avoids generating centrifugal moments while still achieving full access to the pocket interior.
2Ease of operation
If the pocket is pivoted out of vertical alignment for loading/unloading, then the upper opening becomes accessible, but the reliability of operation at high conveyor speeds deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional approach by maintaining the pocket's vertical alignment on the conveyor rail and instead accessing the interior through the side walls. This eliminates the horizontal pivoting motion that generates centrifugal forces, thereby ensuring reliable operation even at high conveyor speeds while still enabling full access to the pocket interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The pocket's vertical orientation on the conveyor rail naturally provides the opening direction toward the robot arm without requiring active pivoting. The side walls are designed to be accessible from the lateral direction, allowing the robot to service the pocket interior while the pocket maintains its stable vertical position on the conveyor.
3Strength
If the pocket is kept in vertical alignment during conveying, then the mechanical stress on the pocket is reduced, but the accessibility of the upper opening for loading/unloading is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the access strategy by not pivoting the pocket to expose the upper opening, but instead reaching laterally through the side walls to access the pocket interior. This maintains the pocket's vertical alignment, minimizing mechanical stress, while the robot arm's lateral reach provides full accessibility to the interior space.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution changes the dimension of access from the horizontal top-down approach (requiring pocket pivoting) to a lateral vertical approach. The robot arm extends horizontally to reach through the side walls, accessing the pocket interior without requiring the pocket to deviate from its vertical conveying orientation.
4Ease of operation
If the pocket is swung out of vertical alignment to expose the upper opening, then the loading/unloading operation can be performed, but the torque requirements increase at high conveyor speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional loading/unloading approach by maintaining vertical pocket alignment and accessing the interior through side walls rather than pivoting to expose the upper opening. This eliminates the horizontal swinging motion that generates centrifugal moments and torque, enabling loading/unloading operations without increased torque requirements at high conveyor speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions the access dimension from horizontal (pivoting the pocket to expose the upper opening) to lateral (reaching through side walls). By approaching the pocket interior from the lateral direction rather than from above, the system avoids generating centrifugal moments during conveying, thereby eliminating additional torque requirements while maintaining full loading/unloading capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a loading and/or unloading station (1) for a pocket sorter (100), comprising a pocket feeder (2) and a robot (3) which is configured to load or unload objects into a pocket (5) provided at the transfer point (4) of the loading and/or unloading station (1) at at least one transfer point (4) of the loading and/or unloading station (1).