Tray Gripper Head with Three-Degree-of-Freedom Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gripper heads for unstacking egg trays often result in damage or loss of eggs due to skewed alignment and differences in tray height, especially when using trays made of pulp or paperboard, as they are not designed to handle non-uniform stacks effectively.
Innovation Solution
A gripper head with a carrier unit connected through spacers that allow movement in three degrees of freedom, enabling it to adjust to skewed and uneven stacks, combined with a mast piece and length adjustment device for precise positioning and height bridging, ensuring secure pickup and transfer of trays with varying heights and types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed gripper head structure is used for unstacking trays, then the structure is simple and stable, but it cannot accommodate skewed alignment and height differences causing egg damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the holder frame movable relative to the carrier unit through spacers that allow movement in three degrees of freedom. This enables the gripper head to dynamically adjust its position and orientation to accommodate skewed alignment and height differences in trays, preventing egg damage while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the gripper head is designed to handle various tray types and stack configurations, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by designing the holder frame with three-degree-of-freedom movement capability that can handle multiple tray types, skewed stacks, and varying height differences (up to 10 cm) with a single device configuration. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple specialized gripper heads while maintaining manageable complexity through the use of simple spacer mechanisms.
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 gripper head effectively unstacks trays with differences in height up to 10 cm and handles diverse tray types without loss or damage, accommodating various stack configurations and product sizes, including those with large or differently sized eggs.
Implementation Method 1
the eggs are each subjected to suction with a suction cup, and thereby taken hold of
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for unstacking a stack of trays, each tray having pockets and edge portions. A holder frame above the stack has suction heads which engage the eggs of the uppermost tray of the stack. A carrier unit above the holder frame has oppositely opposed grippers which engage sides of the uppermost tray. The holder frame is connected to the carrier unit by one or more spacer rods which are freely moveable in a channel in the carrier unit so as to permit three degrees of movement relative thereto. The carrier unit may also be moveably suspended in a second carrier unit above it. Support rods may extend downwardly from the carrier unit to engage the tray.