Variable Motion Conveyor for Tray Positioning and Liquid Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tray sealing and cutting machines face challenges in handling liquid products, as they require gradual speed changes to prevent overflow or soiling, which complicates the collection process and increases costs and complexity with the use of multiple sensors and conveyors.
Innovation Solution
A variable motion conveyor with a comb lifter and sensors that detects tray position and speed, allowing for continuous operation without stopping, and performs both compensation and collection functions, ensuring stable tray positioning and transfer to the sealing station with minimal disruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conveyor with intermittent motion is used to collect trays, then trays can be properly positioned for sealing, but the collection conveyor must stop cyclically which causes liquid in trays to overflow or soile the upper edge
Solution Approach 1:
The collection conveyor is divided into multiple zones: an initial zone for gradual acceleration, a middle zone for tray collection at constant speed, and a final zone for gradual deceleration. This segmentation allows different speed profiles in different sections, enabling precise tray positioning without abrupt stops that would cause liquid overflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor speed is made dynamic rather than static, with programmable variable speed control that adjusts the motion profile cyclically. The conveyor accelerates, maintains speed, and decelerates in a controlled manner each cycle, allowing trays to be positioned accurately while minimizing liquid disturbance through smooth transitions.
2Productivity
If a compensation conveyor is arranged between customer's collection conveyor and supply conveyor, then trays can be inserted without stopping, but the length of the whole collection station is considerably extended and construction is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the compensation conveyor function and collection conveyor function into a single integrated variable motion conveyor. This eliminates the need for separate conveyors and reduces overall system length while maintaining continuous operation capability. The single conveyor performs both functions by dynamically adjusting its speed profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The variable motion conveyor is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as both a compensation conveyor (absorbing speed variations) and a collection conveyor (gathering trays for sealing). This multi-functionality reduces the number of components needed and simplifies the overall system architecture.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and processing means are provided to detect tray distance and speed, then trays can be inserted with predetermined speed and position, but costs and device complexity are considerably increased
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system uses its own motion characteristics to provide measurement information. By monitoring the conveyor's speed and position (which it controls itself), the system can determine tray position and speed without requiring extensive external sensor arrays. The system serves its own measurement needs through its controlled motion profile.
Solution Approach 2:
A simplified feedback system uses minimal sensors to detect tray presence and position, combined with the known conveyor motion profile. The processing unit uses this feedback along with pre-programmed tray dimensions to control the conveyor speed, achieving precise tray positioning with fewer sensors than traditional systems.
4Stability of the object's composition
If gradual speed changes are applied to prevent liquid overflow, then product stability is maintained, but the collection process is complicated and requires more complex control
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor applies gradual acceleration and deceleration ramps before and during tray handling operations. By anticipating the need for speed changes and applying them gradually in advance, the system maintains liquid stability without requiring complex real-time adjustments. The motion profile is pre-programmed to match the physical requirements of liquid-containing trays.
Data Source
AI summary
The external conveyor supplying the trays coming from the filling machine is connected to a conveyor (1) formed of parallel straps or belts (101), which has a greater length than the length of the group of trays of larger dimensions to be grouped together and which is provided in the end part with components inserted between the belts (101), a comb lifter (9) of a length correlated with the length of said tray group to be formed, connected to lifting and lowering means with suitable acceleration and deceleration ramps. Upstream of the lifter (9), sensors (16) are provided which detect the position in space of the trays arriving from the external conveyor in succession, and a processing and control unit (12) is provided to process the information arriving from said sensors (16).