Transport Device With Individual Drive Unit For Gapless Product Rows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport devices struggle to form rows and groups of products without gaps, especially when dealing with disordered or regularly offset products, and lack the ability to adjust gap sizes and convey products efficiently along a continuous conveyor unit.
Innovation Solution
A transport device featuring a continuous conveyor unit with movably mounted conveyor rollers and an individual drive unit that includes a toothed belt with unevenly distributed teeth, allowing independent drive of conveyor elements and superimposing their movement on the continuous conveyor unit's movement, enabling gapless formation of product rows and groups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a continuous conveyor unit with individually driven conveyor rollers is used, then gapless formation of product rows and groups is achieved, but device complexity increases due to the individual drive unit with toothed belt mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor unit is divided into multiple independently drivable conveyor roller groups, each controlled by the individual drive unit. This segmentation allows precise control over each group's rotation, enabling gapless formation of product rows by selectively driving specific rollers while keeping others stationary or moving at different speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
A toothed belt is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the individual drive unit and the conveyor rollers. The toothed belt with unevenly distributed teeth engages with corresponding teeth on selected conveyor rollers, providing a simple mechanical means to transmit rotational motion precisely to specific rollers without requiring complex electronic control systems for each roller.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conveyor elements are driven independently with different rotational speeds, then adjustable gap sizes are achieved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters of different conveyor roller groups by varying their rotational speeds independently. By controlling each group to rotate at different speeds or remain stationary, the system creates adjustable gaps between product rows. The toothed belt mechanism with selectively engageable teeth provides a simple mechanical way to implement these parameter changes without complex electronic control.
3Ease of operation
If the toothed belt has unevenly distributed teeth, then selective engagement with conveyor rollers is enabled, but manufacturing complexity of the toothed belt increases
Solution Approach 1:
The toothed belt is designed with asymmetric, unevenly distributed teeth along its length. This asymmetric pattern allows selective engagement with specific conveyor rollers at predetermined positions. When the belt rotates, only certain teeth align with and engage the teeth on specific conveyor rollers, enabling selective driving of particular roller groups while others remain unaffected. The asymmetric design is manufactured once and then repeatedly used to achieve selective engagement.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a transport device for transporting at least one product (12a; 12b), in particular for forming rows and/or groups of products (12a; 12b), comprising at least one guide unit (14a; 14b), with at least one conveying unit (16a; 16b) which has at least one continuous conveying unit (18a; 18b) movably mounted relative to the guide unit (14a; 14b), which includes at least one movably mounted conveying element (20a; 20b) and at least one further movably mounted conveying element (22a; 22b) which are connected to each other to form the continuous conveying unit (18a; 18b) and are movable at least jointly relative to the guide unit (14a; 14b), and with at least one conveying drive unit (24a; 24b) for driving the continuous conveying unit (18a; 18b) relative to the Command unit (14a; 14b).The transport device has at least one individual drive unit (26a; 26b) which is at least intended to individually drive at least one conveying element (20a; 20b) and/or at least one further conveying element (22a; 22b).