Veneer Sorting Apparatus Selective Piercing Reduces Needle Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing veneer sheet conveying apparatuses face high running costs due to frequent replacement of needle-like bodies used in the piercing-conveying conveyor, as they wear out quickly from piercing both product and trash veneers, leading to inefficiencies in the sorting process.
Innovation Solution
A veneer sheet sorting apparatus that selectively guides product veneers to be pierced by needle-like bodies while diverting trash veneers to avoid piercing, thereby reducing wear and tear on the needle-like bodies, extending their replacement time and lowering operational costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the piercing-conveying conveyor continuously pierces all conveyed veneers with needle-like bodies, then the sorting function is maintained, but the needle-like bodies wear out quickly and require frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the piercing action selective rather than universal. The needle-like bodies only pierce product veneers that meet quality standards, while trash veneers are diverted and excluded from the piercing process. This localized application of the piercing function reduces wear on needle-like bodies by eliminating contact with abrasive trash materials, thereby extending their service life while maintaining sorting reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful element (trash veneer) from the piercing process through a diversion mechanism. By separating trash veneers from the main conveyance path before they reach the needle-like bodies, the system removes the source of abrasion and wear, allowing the needle-like bodies to operate only on suitable product veneers and thus extending their durability
2Device complexity
If the needle-like bodies are used to pierce both product and trash veneers, then the conveying process is simple, but the running cost increases due to frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a diversion mechanism as an intermediary between the conveyed veneer and the needle-like bodies. This mediator selectively directs product veneers toward the piercing-conveying conveyor while routing trash veneers away from the needle-like bodies. The added complexity of this intermediary sorting mechanism is offset by the significant reduction in needle-like body consumption and replacement costs
3Productivity
If the falling-off prevention part is continuously used to hold veneers, then the conveying efficiency is maintained, but the abrasion of the falling-off prevention part increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by preventing trash veneers from ever contacting the falling-off prevention part through the diversion mechanism. By anticipating and blocking the harmful interaction between trash materials and the holding structures, the system protects the falling-off prevention parts from abrasion while maintaining their veneer-holding function for legitimate product veneers, thereby extending their service life without reducing conveying efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
When a veneer conveyed out by a discharging conveyor is a product veneer, a sorting apparatus is rotationally driven to pierce the product veneer with needle-like bodies by a guide member and a push-up member (a rolling bearing). When the veneer conveyed out by the discharging conveyor is a trash veneer, the sorting apparatus is rotationally driven so that the trash veneer is not pierced by the needle-like body. With this configuration, the progress of the abrasion of the needle-like bodies can be delayed as compared with the configuration in which the product veneer and the trash veneer are both pierced by the needle-like body. As a result, the time to replace the needle-like bodies can be extended, whereby the running cost can be reduced.