Tobacco Container Cleaning Unit With Integrated Carriage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tobacco feed units for multiple unloading stations are complex and expensive due to a movable cleaning device that requires additional guide devices and actuation systems, leading to incomplete container emptying and tobacco adherence issues.

Innovation Solution

A simplified tobacco feed unit with a guide device featuring a horizontal carriage and vertical uprights, coupled with rotating arms and motorized gripping members, which receives containers, overturns them to empty tobacco into unloading stations, and uses a single cleaning device mounted on the carriage to clean the containers efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a movable cleaning device with additional guide devices and actuation systems is used, then container cleaning is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer cleaning effectivenessVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device is integrated with the overturning device by mounting it on the same horizontal carriage, allowing both cleaning and overturning operations to be performed using a single guide device and shared actuation systems, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining cleaning effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The horizontal carriage serves multiple functions: it supports both the overturning device for container manipulation and the cleaning device for container interior cleaning, allowing a single structural element to perform multiple operational roles and eliminate the need for separate dedicated support structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If a movable cleaning device with further actuation devices is used, then container cleaning is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer cleaning effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device shares the horizontal carriage and guide device infrastructure with the overturning device, eliminating the need for separate actuation systems and reducing the total number of components that need to be manufactured and assembled, thereby lowering manufacturing costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If the overturning device is used, then tobacco is emptied into unloading stations, but complete emptying is not achieved due to tobacco adherence

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetobacco emptying efficiencyVSAvoidcomplete emptying

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device is positioned and activated to clean the container interior before the container is emptied into the unloading station, removing adhered tobacco residues in advance to ensure complete and clean tobacco transfer without waste or contamination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2808098B1Unit for unloading and cleaning a container of tobacco

Publication Date: 2018.10.10 GARBUIO SPA

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AI summary

A unit for feeding tobacco to at least two unloading stations (2), having a single carriage (7) movable between the unloading stations (2), a overturning device (13) to tip the tobacco housed in a container (20) into at least one of the unloading stations (2) and a cleaning device (28) to remove any tobacco residues remaining in the container (20), the overturning device (13) and the cleaning device (28) being mounted on the carriage (7).