Rotating Lifting Platform for Egg Tray Stacking Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lifting devices for stacking egg trays require complex and irregular patterns of movement, necessitating frequent platform orientation changes to ensure correct alignment and stacking, which can lead to inefficiencies and increased risk of egg breakage.

Innovation Solution

A lifting device with a platform that can rotate 90 degrees between lifting movements, featuring upward projections or holes that engage with egg tray ribs or cups in a consistent pattern, allowing for stable and efficient stacking without the need for frequent platform reorientation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the platform frequently changes orientation to ensure correct alignment during stacking, then the alignment precision between egg trays is improved, but the operational complexity and time required for stacking increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidoperational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The platform is divided into four separate lifting elements arranged in a square pattern, each capable of independent vertical movement. This segmentation allows the platform to engage with egg trays at multiple points simultaneously, maintaining alignment precision without requiring frequent reorientation of the entire platform structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The lifting elements are configured to move vertically in a coordinated dynamic sequence, with each element rising and falling at different times during the stacking cycle. This dynamic operation enables the platform to maintain correct alignment throughout the stacking process without manual reorientation, reducing operational complexity while preserving alignment precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If the platform frequently changes orientation during stacking operations, then the alignment between egg trays is maintained, but the stacking time and operational efficiency decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidstacking efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The lifting elements operate in a periodic cycle where each element rises to engage with an egg tray, holds position during tray engagement, and then falls back to its starting position. This periodic action pattern allows continuous stacking operations with consistent alignment precision while maintaining efficient throughput, eliminating the need for time-consuming reorientation between stacks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Manufacturing precision

If complex movement patterns are used to ensure correct stacking alignment, then the alignment precision is improved, but the risk of egg breakage increases due to more movements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidegg protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The lifting elements are positioned asymmetrically at the corners of a square, with each element engaging with corresponding corner positions of egg trays. This asymmetric configuration allows the platform to achieve precise alignment through its fixed geometric arrangement rather than through complex reorientation movements, thereby reducing the number of movements required and minimizing egg breakage risk while maintaining alignment precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP4433397B1Lifting device for egg trays
Publication Date: 2025.03.26 HEDIPACK TECH BEHEER BV
  • EP4433397B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP4433397B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~3d
  • EP4433397B1 patent drawingFigure 4a~4b

AI summary

The present invention relates to a lifting device for a square egg tray with a design of a tray matrix pattern of cups arranged in five rows and six columns with a mutual center distance, the device comprising a horizontal platform with either upward-projecting projections, or holes extending through the platform or blind holes. The projections are provided in a platform matrix pattern, according to a portion of said pattern corresponding to the dimensions of cups of said egg tray to be carried, wherein midway between each two adjacent rows of projections of the tray matrix pattern, an extra row of projections is provided on the platform, which is staggered relative to the two adjacent rows by half of said center distance.