Rotatable Gripper Subsystem for Dynamic Article Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging systems struggle to align articles correctly with packaging carton apertures due to article rotation and misalignment, leading to reduced throughput and limited flexibility in orienting articles for various packaging formats.
Innovation Solution
A subsystem with tool heads equipped with sensors and drive mechanisms that dynamically rotate articles to a predefined orientation, allowing for flexible article orientation and grouping, even while in motion, using a single packaging machine to form multiple packaging types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fixed mechanisms are used to rotate articles, then articles can be oriented, but article throughput is reduced due to halting requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the article gripper rotatable during the articles' progression through the packaging sequence, rather than using fixed rotation mechanisms that require halting. The gripper can dynamically adjust the orientation of each article individually while moving, allowing continuous throughput while achieving precise orientation alignment with packaging apertures.
2Manufacturing precision
If fixed guides are used to rotate articles, then rotation can be achieved, but flexibility to dynamically cause differing levels of rotation in each article is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The article gripper is made rotatable and controllable, allowing dynamic adjustment of rotation angles for each individual article based on its initial orientation. This enables the system to adapt to varying article orientations and achieve precise alignment for each article, providing both precision and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect the initial orientation of each article and provides feedback to the controller, which then calculates the required rotation angle and controls the gripper to rotate the article to the correct orientation. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures precise orientation control while maintaining flexibility for different article types and orientations.
3Productivity
If articles are conveyed in a stream with fixed guides, then conveying is efficient, but alignment with packaging apertures deteriorates due to rotation and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces fixed mechanical guides that cause friction-induced rotation with a sensor-based detection system and an actively controlled rotatable gripper. The sensor detects article orientation, and the controlled gripper actively corrects alignment, eliminating the passive friction-based rotation problem while maintaining efficient continuous conveying.
Data Source
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AI summary
A subsystem for orienting articles, the subsystem comprising a tool assembly comprising a carriage. A tool head has a first and a second article gripper rotationally coupled thereto. A first drive mechanism is coupled to the first article gripper. A second drive mechanism is coupled to the second article gripper. A sensor is configured to observe two adjacent articles. A controller is provided in communication with the first and second drive mechanisms and the sensor. The controller is configured to determine the orientation of each of the two adjacent articles and to control the first and second drive mechanisms to rotate each of the two adjacent articles to a predefined orientation.