Rotatable Shaft Centering Tabs for Carrier Packer Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional carrier packers experience downtime and inefficiencies due to flexible fingers catching against the upper edges of partitions, causing the production line to stop, which slows down the loading cycle and increases idle time.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of centering devices with two series of flexible tabs aligned along rotatable shafts that can be positioned to guide bottles into carrier cells, rotating to avoid interference with bottle necks once the bottles are placed, allowing for efficient loading and reducing jamming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flexible fingers are used to guide bottles into carrier cells, then bottles are directed toward the center of cells, but the fingers may catch against the upper edges of partitions causing production line to stop
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the centering fingers movable rather than fixed. The fingers are mounted on rotatable shafts that allow them to oscillate between an engaged position (for guiding bottles) and a retracted position (to clear the carrier). This dynamic movement resolves the contradiction by enabling the fingers to perform their guiding function reliably while avoiding catching on partition edges that would cause production stops.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action through the oscillating motion of the centering fingers. The fingers periodically move into the engaged position to guide bottles during the loading phase, then retract to a clear position during the carrier removal phase. This periodic engagement and retraction eliminates continuous contact that would cause jamming, thereby maintaining both reliability and productivity.
2Manufacturing precision
If flexible fingers remain in position to guide bottles, then centering function is maintained, but interference with bottle necks occurs after bottles are located in cells
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic positioning of the centering fingers allows them to be in the engaged position during bottle loading to ensure precise centering, then move to a retracted position after loading to clear the carrier path. This resolves the contradiction between maintaining centering precision and enabling easy carrier removal by eliminating the interference that would occur with fixed-position fingers.
Solution Approach 2:
The loading process is segmented into distinct phases: bottle guiding phase and carrier removal phase. The centering fingers are positioned to engage during the guiding phase and retract during the removal phase. This temporal segmentation allows the system to optimize for centering precision when needed while eliminating interference during carrier removal.
3Device complexity
If conventional fixed finger assemblies are used, then construction is simple, but downtime occurs due to jamming against partition edges
Solution Approach 1:
While the patent does increase device complexity by adding movable mounting mechanisms with rotatable shafts, this added complexity is necessary to achieve the reliability improvement. The dynamic fingers can now adapt their position to avoid jamming against partition edges, ensuring continuous production. The complexity-tradeoff is justified by the elimination of downtime from jamming incidents.
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 enhances the speed and reliability of the loading process by minimizing downtime and eliminating jamming issues, enabling faster cycles and reduced idle times in carrier packing operations.
Implementation Method 1
The two shafts are rotatable in order to rotate simultaneously all the flaps between two alternative angular positions
Data Source
AI summary
Centering devices for carrier packers are provided. Such devices may include two series of flexible tabs, aligned along two parallel shafts. The shafts rotate the flaps in two alternative angular positions. In a lowered angular position, the tabs are introduced partly in the cells of a carrier, to guide bottles towards the centers of the cells. In an angularly raised position, the tabs are rotated away so as not to interfere with the bottle necks once the bottles have been fitted in the cells, so that it is convenient for a conveyor to take away the carrier. Carrier packers including such devices are also provided.