Servo Rack Pinion Suction Pad Lifting for Glass Plate Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glass-plate working apparatuses are inefficient due to the slow raising and lowering of suction pads by air cylinder units, leading to increased transport time between processing positions, which hampers the production speed of processed glass plates.
Innovation Solution
The use of a pinion gear coupled to a servo motor for raising and lowering suction pads, enabling fast and precise movement through meshing with a rack, allowing for quicker positioning and reduced distance travel, thus speeding up the transport process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If air cylinder units are used to raise and lower suction pads, then the structure is simple and reliable, but the raising and lowering speed is limited and cannot be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional air cylinder-based mechanical lifting system with a servo motor-driven rack and pinion gear system. This substitution enables precise positional control and high-speed operation while maintaining mechanical reliability. The servo motor provides controlled rotational motion that converts to linear motion through the rack and pinion mechanism, achieving both speed and precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter from binary (air on/off) to continuous (servo motor rotation angle and speed). By controlling the rotation angle of the pinion gear and the meshing distance with the rack, the system can precisely adjust the raising and lowering position and speed of the suction pads, transforming the lifting device from a fixed-stroke mechanism to a variable-position system.
2Productivity
If the suction pads are raised and lowered through the entire stroke of air cylinder units, then the suction pads can be reliably positioned, but the transport time increases due to waiting for completion of the entire stroke
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by raising and lowering the suction pads only to the necessary minimum distance required for glass plate delivery, rather than completing the entire stroke of the lifting device. The servo motor controls the pinion gear to rotate just enough to achieve the required positional change, reducing unnecessary movement time and enabling faster cycling between transport operations.
3Reliability
If the transport of glass plate must wait for completion of raising by the entire stroke of air cylinder units, then the suction pads are fully raised, but wasteful time is required before transport can begin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback control through the servo motor system, which continuously monitors and adjusts the position of the pinion gear and rack. The servo controller receives position feedback and makes real-time adjustments to ensure the suction pads reach the precise required position for glass plate delivery, eliminating the need to wait for complete stroke completion while maintaining positioning reliability.
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 significantly reduces the time required to transport glass plates between processing positions, shortening the overall processing time and enhancing production speed by allowing faster and more accurate positioning of suction pads.
Implementation Method 1
suction pads respectively mounted on this moving base in correspondence with the glass-plate supporting portion at each processing position by means of lifting devices each constituted by an air cylinder unit. The glass plates are adapted to be sequentially transported to the glass-plate supporting portions at the respective processing positions by the reciprocating movement of the moving base, the raising or lowering of the suction pads by the air cylinder units, and the suction or releasing operation of the glass plates by the suction pads.
Data Source
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AI summary
A glass-plate working apparatus includes a glass-plate supporting portion 20a of a feed conveyor 7, a glass-plate supporting portion 20b of a cutting section 2, a glass-plate supporting portion 20c of a bend-breaking section 4, a glass-plate supporting portion 20d of a grinding section 3, and a glass-plate supporting portion 20e of a discharge conveyor 8; a cutting head 9, a bend-breaking device 66, and a grinding head 10 for processing glass plates 5 which are respectively supported by the supporting portions 20b, 20c, and 20d; and a transporting device 89 for transporting the glass plate 5 on the supporting portion 20a onto the supporting portion 20b, the glass plate 5 on the supporting portion 20b onto the supporting portion 20c, the glass plate 5 on the supporting portion 20c onto the supporting portion 20d, and the glass plate 5 on the supporting portion 20d onto the supporting portion 20e, respectively. The transporting device 89 is adapted to repeat reciprocating movement so as to sequentially transfer the glass plate 5 onto each of the supporting portions 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, and 20e each time the processing operation by processing means is completed.