Transfer Wheel Gripper Dynamics for Lollipop Production
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lollipop production and wrapping apparatuses lack flexibility and reliability in adapting to different forming chamber gaps and packaging unit configurations, limiting their ability to produce varied lollipop shapes and sizes efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A transfer wheel with rotating grippers that adjust radially and orientationally to match the forming and packaging unit gaps, driven independently and equipped with eccentric motion and cam mechanisms, allows for adaptable transfer of lollipops between units, enabling production of diverse lollipop shapes and sizes on the same apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the transfer wheel uses fixed grippers, then the structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to different forming chamber gaps and packaging unit configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The grippers are made movable relative to the transfer wheel, allowing them to adjust their position dynamically. Each gripper can move radially inward and outward, and rotate about its own axis, enabling adaptation to different forming chamber gaps and packaging unit configurations while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer wheel is divided into multiple independent grippers, each capable of individual movement and adjustment. This segmentation allows each gripper to independently adapt to different positions and orientations, providing versatility without requiring complex centralized control mechanisms
2Adaptability or versatility
If the grippers are fixed on the transfer wheel, then the mechanism is simple, but it cannot handle different lollipop shapes and sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The grippers incorporate radial movement capability through interaction with an eccentric cam and control curve, allowing them to adjust their radial position to accommodate different lollipop sizes and shapes. This dynamic adjustment is achieved through simple mechanical interaction rather than complex actuation systems
Solution Approach 2:
The grippers are designed with asymmetric movement capabilities, allowing radial adjustment and rotational movement about their own axes. This asymmetry enables them to handle various lollipop orientations and configurations, improving versatility without requiring symmetric complex mechanisms for each possible variation
3Adaptability or versatility
If the transfer wheel rotates at constant speed, then the operation is simple, but it cannot synchronize with variable forming and packaging unit speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer wheel is equipped with an independently controllable drive mechanism that allows its rotation speed to be dynamically adjusted. This independent control enables synchronization with variable speeds of forming and packaging units, while the simplicity of the drive mechanism keeps the overall system complexity manageable
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
Enhances flexibility and reliability by allowing the production of different lollipop shapes and sizes on the same forming unit, ensuring seamless transfer and handling across various downstream processing units, improving overall efficiency and adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
Each gripper is attached to means, for example a rind, which moves eccentrically around the second axis of rotation. Due to the eccentric motion, the radial extension and/or the angle of the gripper relative to the transfer wheel can be reversibly changed during one rotation of the transfer wheel.
Implementation Method 2
According to another preferred or inventive embodiment of the present invention, the transfer wheel has a drive which is independent from the drives of the forming und/or down-stream processing unit. The rotation of the transfer wheel is consequently not derived from the rotation of the forming unit, but the transfer wheel has its own motor, preferably an electro motor, which rotates the transfer wheel.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a lollipop production and down-stream processing apparatus with a forming unit and a down-stream processing unit and a transfer wheel in between the units which rotates around a first axis and which comprises a multitude of grippers which releasably hold the stick of the lollipop and which rotate relative to the transfer wheel around a second axis of rotation parallel to the first axis of rotation. The present invention further relates to a method to transfer a lollipop from a forming unit to a down-stream processing unit by means of a transfer wheel which rotates around an axis of rotation and which comprises a multitude of grippers, each gripping the stick of a lollipop and taking it out of the holding means of the forming unit and handing it over to the holding means of a down-stream processing unit.