V-Shaped Conveying Surface for Uniform Article Posture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container supply apparatuses require large installation areas and increased operation times due to wide movement ranges of robots, which hinder efficient handling of containers with varying sizes and shapes.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a V-shaped conveying surface and a stopping device to guide containers to a picking position, where a finding means determines the longitudinal direction, allowing the robot to pick and place containers in a uniform posture within a narrower area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If containers are distributed in the entire width of the belt conveyor, then the robot can pick up containers from various positions, but the robot operation range becomes wide and installation area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the container supply process into two distinct stages: (1) a distributing device that spreads containers across the conveyor width, and (2) a robot that operates only in a narrow picking area. This segmentation allows the robot to have limited movement range while still accessing containers from various positions through the preliminary distribution work.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributing device performs preliminary action by arranging containers in specific positions across the conveyor belt before the robot picks them up. This preliminary arrangement enables the robot to operate efficiently within a reduced area, as containers are already positioned for optimal pickup locations.
2Ease of operation
If the robot movement area is increased to handle distributed containers, then container picking flexibility improves, but the distance between picking and placing increases and operation time lengthens
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the distribution function from the picking function, the patent allows the robot to focus solely on picking operations within a narrow area. The distributing device handles the spatial arrangement, enabling the robot to maintain high picking flexibility without incurring time penalties from long movement distances.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributing device acts as an intermediary between the container source and the robot. It mediates the spatial relationship by pre-positioning containers, allowing the robot to operate efficiently with minimal movement while still accessing a variety of container positions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a multi-axis robot is used to pick and place various containers, then handling capability for different sizes and shapes improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the system into a distributing device that handles the complexity of container positioning and a robot that performs standardized picking operations. This segmentation allows the use of a relatively simple robot while maintaining high adaptability through the distributing device's preparatory work.
Data Source
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AI summary
In an article supply apparatus (100) with a robot (40) that picks up an article (1) as an long shaped container or a cap at a picking position and places the article (1) at a placing position (60) in a uniform posture, a conveying device (20) conveys an article (1) provided from an article providing device (10) onto a V-shaped conveying surface (20D) to the picking position; a stopping device (20S) stops the article (1) at the picking position on the V-shaped conveying surface (20D); finding means (30) detects the orientation of the stopped article (1); the robot (40) picks up and places the article (1) at the placing position (60) in a uniform posture.