Roller Transport Device for Bulk Empty Container Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In reverse vending machines with bulk feed systems, the serial separation of empties by the transport device leads to prolonged throughput times, causing customers to wait excessively for deposit receipts, and the existing solutions fail to prevent empties from stacking on rollers, which hinders proper detection.
Innovation Solution
The transport device reverses the direction of rotation of at least one roller from counterclockwise to clockwise between the input space and detection field, ensuring empties are aligned side by side, and features rollers with alternating diameters and a steep conveyor angle to enhance throughput and detection efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If empty containers are conveyed in bulk through the input chamber, then the insertion speed is increased, but the throughput time is prolonged due to serial separation
Solution Approach 1:
The transport device segments the bulk flow of containers by using multiple parallel rollers that independently convey containers side by side. This segmentation allows simultaneous processing of multiple containers rather than serial handling, resolving the contradiction between bulk insertion speed and throughput time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from one-dimensional serial conveyance to two-dimensional parallel conveyance by arranging rollers side by side. Containers are conveyed not only in sequence along the transport direction but also simultaneously across multiple roller positions, effectively adding a spatial dimension to increase throughput without sacrificing insertion speed.
2Productivity
If containers are parallelized side by side on rollers, then throughput is increased, but containers may stack on top of each other, preventing proper detection
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies reverse rotation to rollers that have accumulated stacked containers. By rotating the roller in the opposite direction, stacked containers are dislodged and redistributed to adjacent rollers, ensuring proper side-by-side arrangement for detection. This inverse action resolves the stacking problem while maintaining high throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic reverse rotation of rollers at intervals during container conveyance. This periodic corrective action prevents permanent stacking and ensures containers remain properly positioned for detection, maintaining both high throughput and detection reliability through rhythmic intervention.
3Speed
If rollers continuously rotate in one direction, then container conveyance is efficient, but stacked containers cannot be corrected
Solution Approach 1:
The roller rotation direction is made dynamic rather than fixed. Rollers can switch between forward rotation for efficient conveyance and reverse rotation for correcting stacked containers. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to maintain high conveyance efficiency while automatically correcting positioning errors as they occur.
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 throughput by preventing empty stacking, allowing for reliable detection and reducing the height of the detection field, thereby expediting the processing of empties and improving customer experience.
Implementation Method 1
the rollers in the overhanging areas bear against rails for the rotary drive under frictional or positive locking
Implementation Method 2
the rollers are driven by friction in the resulting overhang areas
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for returning empty packaging, particularly bottles and cans, having a bulk import, in which the empty packaging (10) is routed out of an input chamber (8) through a transport device (1), rotating about its longitudinal axis, past a recognition unit (14), and also a transport device (1) for carrying out this method having a plurality of rollers (4) which are arranged transversely with respect to the direction of transport, are spaced apart from one another, are driven in rotation and act as carriers for the empty packaging (10), wherein several pieces of empty packaging (10) may be situated next to one another on a roller (4). The empty packaging (10) is supplied to the recognition unit (14) in a field arrangement. The parallel conveyance of the empty packaging (10) out of the input chamber (8) may encounter a roller (4) being occupied by empty packaging (10) on top of one another, which would be an obstacle to proper sensing of identifiers etc. on the empty packaging (10) by the recognition unit (14). To prevent this, the empty packaging (10) undergoes a brief reversal of direction of rotation on its path of conveyance to a detection array (15) in the recognition unit (14).