Stabilizing Device Abutting Bar Friction Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stabilizing devices for automatic machines that group articles into superposed layers are ineffective in preventing counterblows that cause the abutting bar to jump, leading to damage and de-alignment of articles, and fail to maintain contact with the upper layer during the grouping process.
Innovation Solution
A stabilizing device with a contact element and activating means that generates a friction force to prevent the abutting bar from sliding freely on vertical guides, ensuring it remains in contact with the upper layer by translating the contact element to engage with the guides, providing a braking action against upward and downward movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pusher member pushes articles upwards with high acceleration, then the articles are raised efficiently to form layers, but the abutting bar jumps upwards and causes damage to articles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing a damping element between the abutting bar and the carriage that supports it. This damping element is designed to absorb and attenuate the counterblow generated when the pusher member rapidly pushes articles upward. By positioning this cushioning element in advance within the support structure, the system prevents the abutting bar from jumping upward and damaging articles, while still allowing efficient article raising to proceed.
2Device complexity
If the abutting bar is freely slidable on vertical guides, then the device structure is simple, but the abutting bar falls uncontrolled and bumps against articles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing a damping element between the abutting bar and the carriage that supports it. This damping element is designed to absorb and attenuate the counterblow generated when the pusher member rapidly pushes articles upward. By positioning this cushioning element in advance within the support structure, the system prevents the abutting bar from jumping upward and damaging articles, while still allowing efficient article raising to proceed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the anti-weight principle by using the damping element to counteract the uncontrolled motion of the abutting bar. The damping element provides a resistive force that opposes the downward acceleration of the abutting bar due to gravity and the upward counterblow, effectively acting as a counterbalancing mechanism that maintains reliable contact with the articles without requiring complex active control systems.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the abutting bar maintains constant contact with upper layer, then articles are stabilized during raising, but the device complexity increases due to additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the anti-weight principle by using the damping element to counteract the uncontrolled motion of the abutting bar. The damping element provides a resistive force that opposes the downward acceleration of the abutting bar due to gravity and the upward counterblow, effectively acting as a counterbalancing mechanism that maintains reliable contact with the articles without requiring complex active control systems.
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
The solution effectively prevents counterblows and maintains the abutting bar's contact with the upper layer, reducing damage and de-alignment, and prevents uncontrolled falls during the grouping and packaging process.
Implementation Method 1
generates a friction force to prevent the abutting bar from sliding freely on vertical guides
Data Source
AI summary
Device for stabilising articles has a bar abuttable by the articles during raising upwards thereof in grouping operations. A support element of the abutting bar is predisposed so as to be coupled to vertical sliding guides so as to be freely slidable along the guides and enable displacement upwards of the abutting bar pushed by the articles when raised upwards during the grouping operations. The stabilising device further comprises a contact element, predisposed on the support element so as to be translatable with respect to the support element, and an activator of the contact element, activatable for moving the contact element from a non-operative position, at which the contact element is distant from the vertical sliding guides, to an operative position, at which the contact element is in contact with at least one of the vertical sliding guides.