Vertical Infeed Carousel for Packaging Blank Motion Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing infeed devices become complex and bulky when transforming vertically moving flattened packaging material into erected sleeves for horizontal transportation, requiring motion conversion.
Innovation Solution
An infeed device with a vertically arranged infeed carousel and conveyor system that converts vertical motion of blanks into horizontal motion of erected sleeves, using rotating receiving devices and synchronized conveyor movement to maintain efficiency and reduce height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If motion conversion is added to transform vertical motion to horizontal motion, then the infeed device can receive vertically moving blanks and transport sleeves horizontally, but the device becomes more complex and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the motion conversion problem by introducing a vertical dimension to the conveyor system. The conveyor is arranged vertically above the infeed carousel, allowing blanks to be fed vertically from below while sleeves are transported horizontally at an elevated level. This spatial separation eliminates the need for complex motion conversion mechanisms while maintaining both vertical feeding and horizontal transportation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The infeed carousel acts as an intermediary device between the vertical blank feeding system and the horizontal conveyor system. It receives vertically moving blanks, transforms them into erected sleeves, and transfers them to the horizontally arranged conveyor, thereby mediating the transition between vertical and horizontal motion without requiring direct motion conversion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If motion conversion mechanisms are included, then vertical to horizontal motion transformation is achieved, but the device becomes bulkier
Solution Approach 1:
By arranging the conveyor vertically above the infeed carousel and utilizing the vertical dimension for blank feeding while horizontal transportation occurs at the elevated conveyor level, the patent achieves motion transformation without requiring additional horizontal space for complex conversion mechanisms, thus reducing overall device volume.
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 solution simplifies the infeed device design, reducing bulkiness and complexity while effectively transforming vertically moving blanks into horizontally transported sleeves, enhancing operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an infeed carousel arranged vertically below the inlet station and having a plurality of receiving devices distributed along the circumference of the infeed carousel... The infeed device further comprises a conveyor having a plurality of carriers configured to receive a respective erected body from an associated receiving device, and wherein the conveyor is arranged vertically above the infeed carousel
Data Source
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AI summary
An infeed device (100) is provided. The infeed device (100) comprises an inlet station (110) configured to provide a series of consecutive blanks (30), an infeed carousel (120) arranged vertically below the inlet station (110) and having a plurality of receiving devices (130) distributed along the circumference of the infeed carousel (120). Each receiving device (130) is configured to receive a blank (30) from the inlet station (110) and to transform the blank (30) to an erected body (40), wherein the infeed device (100) further comprises a conveyor (140) having a plurality of carriers (150) configured to receive a respective erected body (40) from an associated receiving device (130), and wherein the conveyor (140) is arranged vertically above the infeed carousel (120).