Sorting Apparatus With Accumulation Drawer For Recyclables
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available sorting devices face challenges in achieving high throughput and purity levels, especially when sorting recyclables, often requiring manual intervention and increased operational costs due to uneven distribution of recyclable materials and high conveyor speeds.
Innovation Solution
A device with a sorting stand and transport system featuring a mechanical obstacle, such as a drawer, that allows for controlled accumulation and sorting of recyclables, enabling precise sorting without reducing conveyor speed and minimizing personnel costs by adjusting the mechanical resistance and channel distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual sorting is carried out to achieve high purity levels, then sorting accuracy is improved, but productivity decreases due to the need for multiple personnel and reduced conveyor speed
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer accumulates objects in advance before they reach the sorting stand, preparing them for efficient manual sorting. This preliminary accumulation allows operators to work at a steady pace without rushing, maintaining high accuracy while preventing bottlenecks in the conveyor system.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawer acts as an intermediary buffer between the high-speed conveyor and the manual sorting station. It decouples the conveyor speed from the sorting pace, allowing the conveyor to maintain high throughput while operators sort at their optimal speed for accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If conveyor speed is reduced to allow manual sorting, then sorting accuracy is improved, but productivity decreases due to lower throughput rates
Solution Approach 1:
Objects are accumulated in the drawer before reaching the sorting stand, preparing them in advance for efficient manual sorting. This allows the conveyor to maintain high speed while operators receive a steady stream of accumulated objects, maintaining both throughput and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawer serves as a buffer that decouples conveyor speed from sorting speed. The conveyor can run at high throughput rates while the drawer accumulates objects and releases them to operators at an optimal sorting pace, eliminating the need to slow down the entire system.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple personnel are increased to handle uneven distribution of recyclables, then sorting accuracy is improved, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer accumulates objects channel by channel in advance, allowing operators to focus on one channel at a time. This organized accumulation reduces the cognitive load and physical movement required, enabling fewer operators to handle the same volume of diverse recyclables efficiently and accurately.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawer acts as an organizational intermediary that structures the flow of objects to operators. By accumulating and presenting objects in an organized manner, it reduces the complexity of handling uneven distributions, allowing fewer personnel to achieve the same sorting accuracy that would otherwise require larger teams.
Data Source
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AI summary
The device is provided with a sorting stand (9) for sorting the objects (3), and a transport device (2) for transporting the objects on a transport stand for the sorting. The transport device comprises a partition wall (10), with which the Transportation path is divided in two channels. USE : Device for controlled transportation of objects to be sorted according to recyclable material groups. ADVANTAGE : The device is provided with a sorting stand for sorting the objects, and a transport device for transporting the objects on a transport stand for the sorting, and thus ensures quick and accurate sorting of the objects. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS : The drawing shows a schematic side view of a sorting device. 2 : Transport device 3 : Objects 9 : Sorting stand 10 : Partition wall.