Movable Tray Shaking Mechanism for Container Packing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In warehouse and distribution centers, the arrangement of items in containers leads to significant waste of space, resulting in inefficiencies and increased costs due to random placement and time-consuming allocation processes.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising processing stations with movable trays that can shake items into containers homogeneously, utilizing pneumatic actuators and presence sensors to optimize space utilization and reduce allocation time, featuring a conveyor with an inclination to facilitate item placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If items are manually placed into containers at random, then the allocation process is simple and quick, but significant space is wasted and storage efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration through a shaking mechanism that vibrates the container during item allocation. This vibration causes items to settle and arrange themselves automatically, maximizing space utilization without requiring complex manual positioning. The shaking mechanism transforms the simple act of dropping items into an efficient space-filling process, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and storage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows items to self-arrange within the container through the vibration-induced settling process. Rather than requiring precise manual placement, the items naturally find their optimal positions through the shaking motion, enabling simple allocation operations to achieve high storage efficiency automatically.
2Volume of stationary object
If items are arranged manually with attention to space optimization, then space waste is reduced, but the allocation time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The shaking mechanism rapidly arranges items in the correct positions through vibration, achieving optimal space utilization in seconds rather than requiring time-consuming manual adjustment. The vibration causes items to settle into dense configurations automatically, dramatically reducing allocation time while maximizing container volume usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs the space-optimization action preliminarily through the shaking mechanism during the allocation process itself. Rather than allocating items first and then spending time rearranging them, the vibration simultaneously achieves both allocation and optimal arrangement, eliminating the time loss associated with post-allocation adjustments.
3Ease of operation
If traditional random allocation is used, then the system is simple to operate, but storage space is rapidly consumed and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shaking mechanism maintains ease of operation by requiring only simple item deposition, while the vibration automatically achieves dense packing. This preserves the simplicity of the allocation operation while dramatically improving space utilization, preventing rapid consumption of available storage space that occurs with random placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The items self-organize into space-efficient arrangements through the vibration process, maintaining operational simplicity while preventing premature exhaustion of storage capacity. The system achieves optimal space usage automatically without requiring complex operational procedures.
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 system effectively minimizes space waste and reduces allocation time, achieving cost savings by ensuring items are arranged efficiently within containers, enhancing the overall operational efficiency of warehouse and distribution centers.
Implementation Method 1
the moving means are able to operate a shaking of the movable tray at least along opposite directions of a predefined axis of shaking to arrange the items in the removable container in a homogeneous way
Implementation Method 2
the conveyor has an inclination with respect to a floor plane comprised between 5° and 25°
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system (1) for arranging items in containers comprising a plurality of processing stations (11) for filling removable containers, wherein each of the processing station (11) is able to house a single of the removable containers and comprises a movable tray (211), able to support a respective of the removable containers, moving means of the movable tray (211) with respect to the processing station (11) and a conveyor (111), provided with an entry portion (111′) and with an exit portion (111″) of the items, wherein the conveyor (111) is arranged at a distance from the movable tray (211) such that the exit portion (111″) remains above the opening of a respective of the removable containers, wherein the moving means are able to operate a shaking of the movable tray (211) at least along opposite directions of a predefined axis of shaking to arrange the items in the removable container in a homogeneous way.


