Tray Converting Unit for Tobacco Rod Unloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current machinery is not capable of efficiently unloading both four-wall and five-wall trays used in the tobacco industry without requiring adjustments and additional parts, as the mechanisms for each type of tray are distinct, and the physical parameters of the trays and their contents complicate the unloading process.
Innovation Solution
A machine equipped with a converting unit that changes the configuration of five-wall trays to match that of four-wall trays during unloading, featuring a linearly operating lifting mechanism to lift and press the hinged wall, and a turning unit that rotates the tray with a tangent component, allowing for the unloading of both tray types without additional machine adaptations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate apparatuses are used for emptying five-wall trays and four-wall trays, then each tray type can be emptied with dedicated mechanisms, but the device complexity increases and requires additional parts for each tray type
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is designed with a universal unloading mechanism that can handle both five-wall cardboard trays and four-wall plastic trays using the same basic structure. The converting unit transforms five-wall trays into four-wall configuration, allowing a single apparatus design to service multiple tray types without requiring completely separate mechanisms for each tray type.
Solution Approach 2:
The converting unit changes the physical parameters of the five-wall tray by swinging one wall and securing it with a holder, effectively transforming it into a four-wall tray configuration. This parameter change (from five walls to four walls) allows the same unloading mechanism to handle both tray types uniformly.
2Reliability
If the apparatus is adjusted for each tray type, then proper unloading can be achieved, but the loss of time increases due to adjustments and reconfigurations
Solution Approach 1:
The converting unit performs preliminary action by transforming the five-wall tray into a four-wall configuration before the main unloading operation begins. This preliminary transformation eliminates the need for time-consuming adjustments during the unloading process, as the apparatus is pre-configured to handle the transformed tray type.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus maintains continuous unloading operation without interruption for reconfigurations. The converting unit handles tray type transformations seamlessly, allowing the unloading mechanism to operate continuously on both five-wall and four-wall trays without stopping for adjustments, thus eliminating idle time and maintaining productive action throughout.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional parts are used to adapt the machine to different tray types, then versatility is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding separate mechanisms for each tray type, the invention uses a universal unloading mechanism combined with a converting unit that transforms five-wall trays into four-wall configuration. This approach achieves versatility (handling both tray types) without the device complexity of maintaining completely separate unloading systems for each tray type.
Solution Approach 2:
The converting unit and unloading mechanism are merged into a single integrated system. The converting unit's wall-swinging mechanism and the unloading mechanism work together as one coordinated system, eliminating the need for separate adaptation parts and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining adaptability to different tray types.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
An apparatus (1) for emptying of two types of trays with different configurations for rod like articles (R) of the tobacco industry while a five-wall tray being the tray of the first type (13) and a four-wall tray being the tray of the second type (3), the apparatus is provided with a filled tray station (2) of the first type or the second type, a turning unit (10) designed to turn the filled tray of the first type (13) or the second type (3), a lifting unit (11) designed to lift the turning unit (10), a station (23) for emptying of the filled tray of the first (13) or the second type (3), a station (25) for empty trays of the first or the second type, a control system (40) controlling the subassemblies of the apparatus. The apparatus (1) according to the invention is characterised by further comprising a converting unit (21, 35) being adapted to change the configuration of the tray of the first type (13) into a configuration corresponding to the configuration of the second type (3). The converting unit (21, 35) is adapted to change the configuration of the tray of the first type (13) into a configuration corresponding to the configuration of the tray of the second type (3) when the tray of the first type (13) is delivered for unloading, and to maintain the configuration of the tray of the second type (3) when the tray of the second type (3) is delivered for unloading the converting unit (21, 35) is further provided with a linearly operating lifting mechanism (32) designed to lift the hinged wall (13T') and the connecting members (13FL, 13FR) and a linearly operating pressing mechanism (34) designed to press the hinged wall (13T') and the connecting members (13FL, 13FR) to other walls of the tray (13L, 13R, 13A). The object of the invention is also a converting unit (21, 35) and a tray emptying method using the apparatus (1) and the converting unit (21, 35).