Rotary Drive Grouping for Container Orientation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing container handling systems require a significant constructional effort due to the large number of individual rotary drives needed for controlled rotation of containers, which increases complexity and reduces efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A device that uses a single controllable rotary drive with a band, chain, or belt drive to rotate multiple container holders, allowing independent control of each holder group along the orientation and conveying section, reducing the number of required drives and eliminating the need for movable actuators and sliding contacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If each container holder is provided with its own controllable rotary drive, then individual rotation control of container holders is achieved, but the constructional complexity and number of rotary drives increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindividual rotation controlVSAvoidnumber of rotary drives

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple container holders are grouped together and controlled by a single common rotary drive instead of each having its own drive. The rotary drive unit is shared among several container holders, reducing the total number of drives while maintaining individual rotation capability through selective engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The container holders are divided into groups, with each group controlled by a dedicated common rotary drive. This segmentation allows for reduced complexity within each group while maintaining overall individual control capability across all container holders.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If actuators are provided on the conveying element with container holders, then individual rotation control is enabled, but movable actuators and sliding contacts are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindividual rotation controlVSAvoidmovable actuators and sliding contacts

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of placing actuators on the moving conveying element, the actuators are positioned on the stationary machine frame. The control signal and power are transmitted to the rotating container holders through the stationary actuator position, eliminating the need for movable actuators and sliding contacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

A stationary transmission mechanism acts as an intermediary between the fixed actuator on the machine frame and the rotating container holders. This intermediary transfers the rotational control without requiring the actuator itself to move with the conveying element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10035620B2Device and method for the controlled orientation and/or controlled rotation of containers

Publication Date: 2018.07.31 KHS GMBH

AI summary

A container-orienting device includes container-holder groups, each having rotatable container-holders separated from each other by at least one rotatable container-holder from another container-holder group such that no two rotatable container-holders from a particular container-holder group are next to each other. The device also has a plurality of drives, each of which rotates only container holders from a corresponding container-holder group. The container holders are organized into container-holder sequences, each of which comprises equal numbers of container holders from different container-holder groups arranged in a particular order. These sequences following one another along the conveying direction.