Rotating Sector Extraction Pincers for Syringe Pitch Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting glass containers, such as syringes, from trays and transferring them to continuous conveyors often result in damage or staining due to friction with plastic hooks or require high-maintenance devices that open slots, and struggle with adapting to different spacing requirements between syringes.
Innovation Solution
A handling system utilizing three rotating wheel sectors with extraction pincers that extract syringes from trays at a specific pitch and transfer them to a continuous conveyor, allowing for adjustable spacing and gentle handling without damage, using a robot head that varies the pitch of syringe placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If plastic hooks are used to extract syringes from trays, then the extraction process is simple, but the syringes are damaged and stained by friction with the plastic hooks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element (the extraction device with pincers mounted on rotating wheel sectors) between the syringes and the trays. This intermediary performs the extraction function while using controlled mechanical contact that avoids the harmful friction and staining caused by direct plastic hook contact, thus resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and product protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the simple plastic hook mechanical system with a more sophisticated extraction device using rotating wheel sectors with pincers. This substitution maintains the extraction function while using a mechanical system that controls contact forces to prevent syringe damage and staining, addressing the contradiction by upgrading the mechanical interaction quality
2Object-affected harmful factors
If scissors are used to open slots in the tray to prevent syringe rubbing, then friction damage is reduced, but the syringe containers are damaged and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction device acts as an intermediary that transfers syringes from trays to conveyors without requiring slot opening. This intermediary performs the extraction through controlled pincer engagement, eliminating the need for scissors that would damage trays and require maintenance, thus resolving the contradiction between friction protection and tray reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the syringes from the trays using the wheel sector pincers without modifying the tray structure. This extraction method takes out the syringes directly through controlled mechanical engagement, eliminating the harmful slot-opening action while maintaining friction protection, thereby preserving tray integrity and reducing maintenance needs
3Device complexity
If fixed pitch extraction is used, then the extraction mechanism is simple, but the system cannot adapt to different spacing requirements on the conveyor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the pitch adjustable rather than fixed. The extraction device can modify the spacing between syringes during transfer to the conveyor, allowing adaptation to different spacing requirements while maintaining a relatively simple underlying mechanism. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between mechanism simplicity and spacing adaptability
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for extracting glass containers contained in a tray (11) and transferring them to a continuous linear conveyor (27), comprising: a feeding plane (14) in steps and/or continuous of a series of trays (11), which are equipped with a series of recesses or impressions (13) that house a series of glass containers (12) or the like; a device for extracting the glass containers from the trays, wherein the extraction device comprises wheel sectors or star segments (16, 17 and 18), caused to rotate around a common horizontal axis (X) along a circular path, said wheel sectors or star segments (16, 17 and 18), bearing on an outer peripheral surface formed as an arc of circumference, a series of extraction pincers (23) of the single glass container (12) arranged between each other at a first reciprocal distance (k) equal to the distance between said recesses or impressions (13) of said trays (11); a head (24) of a robot (25) which is provided with movement in space and which provides a series of gripping elements (26) for withdrawing said glass containers (12) carried by said sectors and releasing them onto said linear conveyor (27); the trays (11) are moved in said system, on said feeding plane (14) and advance at a predetermined distance from each other to be brought beneath said device for extracting the glass containers (12) from the trays (11), a single sector (16, 17 or 18) moves on a single tray (11) engaging one pincer (23) after another on one glass container (12) after another contained in said tray (11), wherein said single sector (16, 17 or 18) is caused to rotate tangent to said tray (11) which moves forward in synchronism with the rotation of the sector and extracts one glass container after another from the advancing tray; the gripping elements (26) of said robot (25) head (24) withdraw together all the glass containers (12) carried by said pincers (23) of a single sector (16, 17 or 18) by means of said gripping elements (26), when the rotation of said single sector from which the withdrawal is effected, is stopped; said robot head provides a mechanism (43,47) for moving and changing the position of said gripping elements (26), with respect to each other, wherein said mechanism moves said gripping elements (26) of said glass containers (12) from a first distance (k) corresponding to the extraction distance from said trays (11) to a second distance (h) for depositing said containers on said linear conveyor (27).