Vibratory Tray Retaining Device for Secure Attachment and Quick Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vibratory feeding systems face issues with loose connections between the vibration tray and drive, leading to loss of vibration potential and potential damage, while also requiring quick and easy tray removal for cleaning and replacement.
Innovation Solution
A retaining device with a tray locking assembly that selectively moves between locked and unlocked positions, using vibratory abutment pins and a jackscrew mechanism to securely attach and detach the tray from the drive, ensuring effective vibration transmission and easy tray removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a secure connection is used to transmit vibrations effectively, then vibration transmission reliability is improved, but tray removal and installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining device is divided into separate functional components: vibratory abutment pins for secure attachment and a jackscrew mechanism for controlled release. This segmentation allows the connection to be as secure as needed during operation while enabling quick disassembly when tray removal is required, resolving the contradiction between reliable vibration transmission and easy tray removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining device transitions from a static secure connection to a dynamically controllable connection. The jackscrew mechanism allows the system to switch between a locked state (secure connection for vibration transmission) and an unlocked state (easy removal), enabling the system to adapt its connection characteristics based on operational needs.
2Reliability
If a secure attachment mechanism is used to prevent component rattling, then system reliability is improved, but ease of tray removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is segmented into a locking component (vibratory abutment pins) and a releasing component (jackscrew mechanism). The pins provide secure attachment to prevent rattling during operation, while the jackscrew enables easy removal by systematically disengaging the pins, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The jackscrew acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the secure attachment. Instead of requiring the user to directly manipulate the secure connection (which would be difficult), the jackscrew serves as a mediator that translates simple user input into the complex action of disengaging the vibratory abutment pins, making tray removal easy while maintaining secure attachment during operation.
3Ease of operation
If a quick release mechanism is used to facilitate tray removal, then ease of operation is improved, but connection stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into a stable locking function (vibratory abutment pins) and a controlled release function (jackscrew mechanism). The pins maintain connection stability during operation, while the jackscrew provides a controlled way to release the connection for easy tray removal, resolving the contradiction between ease of removal and connection stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibratory abutment pins are pre-positioned to engage with the tray, establishing a stable connection before operation begins. The jackscrew mechanism is pre-configured to systematically disengage these pins when release is needed. This preliminary arrangement ensures both stable connection during operation and easy removal when required.
Data Source
AI summary
A vibratory apparatus for feeding discrete articles. The vibratory apparatus has a tray for receiving the discrete articles and a vibratory drive for imparting a vibration movement to the tray. A retaining device releasably retains the tray to the vibratory drive. The retaining device includes a tray locking assembly selectively moveable between a locked position to lock the tray to the vibratory drive and an unlocked position to unlock the tray from the vibratory drive. In the unlocked position the tray can be removed from the vibratory drive. In the locked position the tray is locked to the vibratory drive in a vibration transmission relationship.