Vibrating Conveyor Trough Singulating Oblong Products

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing conveyor systems for oblong products face issues with jamming and inefficiencies in singulation, particularly when handling large fruits, leading to delays and difficulties in grading due to friction and complex apparatus designs that are not capable of quick start and stop operations.

Innovation Solution

A dynamically balanced conveyor system with a conveying trough divided into a central lower part and surrounding upwards-and-outwards extending parts, where the central part vibrates with a higher longitudinal amplitude than the sides, allowing for efficient singulation and increased capacity through parallel arrangements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional feed belt mechanism with upwardly extending portions is used to convey and singulate articles, then singulation and conveying are achieved, but the apparatus becomes complex with fast-moving parts that cause wear and cannot perform quick start and stop operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidconveyor mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical feed belt system with electromagnetic or piezoelectric vibrational drives. These drives create vibrations that convey and singulate articles without physical contact between moving parts, eliminating wear and reducing mechanical complexity while enabling quick start and stop operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs electromagnetic or piezoelectric vibrational drives that generate controlled vibrations to convey and singulate articles. The vibration frequency and amplitude are adjusted to optimize singulation while eliminating the need for complex mechanical feed belts and upwardly extending portions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

2Ease of operation

If a dynamically balanced conveying trough is used to reduce reaction forces, then the system becomes outwardly vibration-free and can singulate round products, but it does not work well with oblong products unless a long section of apparatus is used

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevibration-free operationVSAvoidsingulation efficiency for oblong products

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the conveying trough by providing different vibration characteristics for different sections. The sidewalls have different vibration amplitudes compared to the bottom surface, creating localized vibration patterns that are optimal for singulating oblong products while maintaining overall system balance and minimizing external vibrations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses independently controllable vibrational drives for the bottom surface and sidewalls of the conveying trough. This allows dynamic adjustment of vibration parameters to optimize singulation for different product types, including oblong products, without requiring a long apparatus section.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If the amplitude of longitudinal vibration is increased to improve singulation, then singulation efficiency increases, but frictional wear and jamming risks increase for large fruits

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesingulation precisionVSAvoidfriction and jamming

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces friction-based mechanical conveyance with electromagnetic or piezoelectric vibrational drives. These drives create controlled vibrations that move articles through the conveying trough without significant friction, allowing high-amplitude vibrations for precise singulation without causing jamming or excessive wear.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 ensures efficient singulation and increased capacity without frictional wear, enabling high-speed handling of oblong products by adapting the conveyor design to fit the product dimensions and allowing for multiple units to share a driving vibrator, enhancing productivity and reducing operational complexities.

Implementation Method 1

driving means to cause longitudinal vibration at a particular frequency

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration: Vibration

Implementation Method 2

conveyors involving vibrational drives of the electromagnetic and piezoelectric types

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic vibration: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 3

conveyors involving vibrational drives of the electromagnetic and piezoelectric types

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric vibration: Piezoelectric Effect

Implementation Method 4

dynamically balanced type, in which a conveying trough is vibrated with respect to a counterweight in order to reduce the reaction forces transmitted to the support structure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDynamic balancing: Inertia

Data Source

PatentUS10259656B1Singulating vibration feeder

Publication Date: 2019.04.16 NEWTEC ENG AS

AI summary

The problem of singulating oblong articles that are unloaded in an arbitrary orientation onto a conveyor has been solved in that the conveying trough is divided into a central, lower part and surrounding upwards-and-outwards extending parts, whereby the central part vibrates with a longitudinal amplitude that is higher than that of the upwards-and-outwards extending parts at the same frequency.