Vibrating Conveyor Singulation Amplitude Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conveyor systems face challenges in efficiently singulating and conveying oblong products like carrots and potatoes due to frictional wear, complex apparatus designs, and inability to handle high-speed start and stop requirements, especially when products are not properly oriented or when they are too large to pass through bag openings simultaneously, leading to jamming and grading difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A dynamically balanced vibrating conveyor with a conveying trough divided into a lower part and upwards-and-outwards extending parts, where the lower part vibrates with a higher amplitude, and the upwards-and-outwards parts move with a smaller amplitude through an elastic coupling or independent mechanism, reducing friction and wear, and allowing for efficient singulation and conveying without jamming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional feed belt mechanism with fast-moving parts is used for singulation, then conveying and singulation can be achieved, but frictional wear occurs and the apparatus becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical feed belt mechanism with an electromagnetic vibration system. The electromagnetic vibrator generates controlled vibrations that convey and singulate products without physical contact between moving parts, eliminating frictional wear and simplifying the apparatus structure while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes electromagnetic vibration to convey and singulate products. The vibrator generates specific vibration patterns that cause products to move along the conveyor path and automatically space themselves in single file, achieving both conveying and singulation functions through vibration alone without complex mechanical components
2Productivity
If a conventional feed belt mechanism is used for singulation, then conveying and singulation can be achieved, but frictional wear occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical feed belt mechanism with an electromagnetic vibration system. The electromagnetic vibrator generates controlled vibrations that convey and singulate products without physical contact between moving parts, eliminating frictional wear and simplifying the apparatus structure while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the friction-prone feed belt mechanism from the system. By removing this component entirely and replacing it with a vibration-based system, the source of frictional wear is eliminated while the core singulation function is preserved through electromagnetic vibration
3Productivity
If a dynamically balanced conveyor with large amplitude vibration is used, then oblong products can be singulated, but the apparatus length must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the vibration parameters by using a vertically oriented electromagnetic vibrator that generates simultaneous vertical and longitudinal vibrations. This specific vibration pattern, with controlled amplitude and frequency, enables effective singulation of oblong products in a compact apparatus length by optimizing the vibration characteristics rather than increasing apparatus dimensions
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 enables efficient singulation and conveying of oblong products with reduced frictional wear and the ability to handle high-speed operations, ensuring proper orientation and reduced jamming, thus improving handling efficiency and capacity per unit length.
Implementation Method 1
a conveying trough which is vibrated in a longitudinal direction with respect to a longitudinal vibration axis (X) by an electromagnetic vibrator (3)
Implementation Method 2
the upwards-and-outwards extending parts (6, 7) being connected to means configured to enable a longitudinal reciprocating movement at said particular frequency and at a smaller amplitude than the longitudinal vibration of the lower part (5)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The problem of singulating oblong articles (1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b) that are unloaded in an arbitrary orientation onto a conveyor has been solved in that the conveying trough (4) is divided into a central, lower part (5) and surrounding upwards-and-outwards extending parts (6, 7), whereby the central part (5) vibrates with a longitudinal amplitude that is higher than that of the upwards-and-outwards extending parts (6, 7) at the same frequency.