Tray Feeding Conveyor With Elevator for Easy Security Tray Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers often struggle to find trays at the bottom of sorting tables in security inspection systems, requiring manual guidance and bending over to retrieve them, which is inconvenient and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An automatically tray feeding device with elevating and conveying mechanisms, including a motor-driven synchronous belt system, photoelectric detection, and retractable pallets, to deliver trays to the top of the sorting table for easy access by passengers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If trays are placed at the bottom of the sorting table, then storage space is utilized, but passengers must bend over to retrieve them which is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically delivers trays to passengers without requiring manual intervention. The tray delivery mechanism uses sensors to detect when a tray is needed and automatically transports it from the bottom of the sorting table to the top, making the system serve itself rather than requiring passenger effort to retrieve trays.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of passengers bending down to grab trays is replaced with an automated mechanical delivery system. This system uses motors, conveyors, and sensors to automatically transport trays, substituting the simple manual mechanical action with a more complex but automated system that eliminates the need for passengers to bend over.
2Productivity
If manual tray guidance is used, then device complexity is low, but operational efficiency is reduced due to passenger confusion and waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that detect when a tray is needed and provide feedback to the control system. This feedback loop allows the automated delivery system to respond dynamically to passenger needs, improving efficiency by ensuring trays are delivered only when required rather than continuously, thus reducing waste and improving operational flow.
Solution Approach 2:
Trays are pre-positioned at the bottom of the sorting table and the system is pre-configured to automatically deliver them when needed. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need for passengers to search for trays, as they are already prepared and waiting to be delivered, improving operational efficiency by eliminating search time and waiting periods.
3Loss of time
If trays are manually retrieved, then energy consumption is low, but time is wasted due to passenger bending and searching
Solution Approach 1:
The automated tray delivery system operates periodically rather than continuously. Sensors detect when trays are needed and trigger delivery only at those moments, rather than running constantly. This periodic operation reduces energy consumption compared to continuous automated delivery, while still eliminating the time passengers would spend manually searching for and retrieving trays.
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 device simplifies tray retrieval by automatically transporting trays to the top of the sorting table, enhancing user-friendliness and operational efficiency while minimizing manual intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a straight guide rail, a synchronous belt, a pallet and at least one limit member, wherein the pallet is configured to move up and down through the straight guide rail and the synchronous belt
Implementation Method 2
at least one photoelectric detection device mounted on the sorting table frame to sense a position of the tray
Data Source
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AI summary
An automatically tray feeding device (1), a tray sorting table including the same and a security inspection system including the same are provided. The automatically tray feeding device (1) includes: at least one conveying mechanism (10) configured to convey a tray (80) at different heights; at least one elevating mechanism (20) configured to move a tray (80) on a conveying mechanism (10) at a first height to a conveying mechanism (10) at a second height, the first height being different from the second height; and a sorting table frame (30) configured to carry the at least one conveying mechanism (10) and the at least one elevating mechanism. (20).