Root Crop Conveyor Layout to Prevent Layering and Improve Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing root crop conveying apparatuses face issues with root vegetables accumulating in multiple layers due to tilting, obstructing visibility and detection of foreign bodies during operation.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates longitudinal and transverse separating devices angled to the circulation direction, creating narrower receiving regions that prevent layering and ensure visibility by maintaining root vegetables on one side, with features like forming elements and deflecting elements to manage movement and distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the apparatus width is increased to accommodate more root vegetables, then the conveying capacity is improved, but the visibility and monitoring of root crops deteriorates due to increased layering and accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is divided into multiple receiving regions along the circulation direction, each with controlled capacity. This segmentation prevents excessive accumulation in any single region while maintaining overall conveying capacity, thereby preserving visibility and monitoring capability across all regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing apparatus width to improve capacity, the invention extends the circulation path length (another dimension) to accommodate more receiving regions. This allows increased conveying capacity while maintaining manageable width and height dimensions that preserve visibility and monitoring capability.
2Productivity
If more root vegetables are present in the same receiving region to increase conveying power, then the productivity is improved, but the layering and accumulation of root vegetables worsens, hindering visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying function is segmented across multiple receiving regions distributed along the circulation path. Each region handles a controlled number of root vegetables, preventing excessive layering while collectively achieving high conveying power through the distributed arrangement of multiple regions.
3Device complexity
If the apparatus is designed with fewer and wider receiving regions, then the device complexity is reduced, but the layering of root vegetables worsens due to tilting, obstructing access and visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus uses multiple narrower receiving regions to prevent layering and improve accessibility. While this increases the number of regions compared to fewer wide regions, the segmentation enables better operational access and visibility that compensates for the increased complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for conveying root crops is provided. The apparatus includes a carrying device which circulates in a circulation direction during operation. The carrying device partly forms at least one receiving region and carries the root crops. At least one transverse separating device extends at least partially in a transverse direction. This delimits the receiving region in the circulation direction. From the outside, the receiving region adjoins an interior space which extends inside an interior space surface. The interior space surface extends parallel to the transverse direction and in side view runs exclusively in the circulation direction. At least one protruding part of the transverse separating device is arranged, in side view, outside the interior space.