Virtual Tray Alignment for Conveyor Article Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing article alignment apparatuses are costly due to the need for expensive servomotors, phototube sensors, and frequent mark application on conveyors, and require post-process corrections for interval alignment, which increases operational expenses.
Innovation Solution
An article alignment apparatus comprising a conveyor with a detector for movement tracking, a robot capable of placing articles in alignment, an interval setting unit, a virtual target generation unit, and a placement operation execution unit that uses a virtual target to align articles at predetermined intervals without the need for physical trays or sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If phototube sensors and physical trays are used for article alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual tray as a digital copy of the physical tray structure. This virtual tray exists in the robot's coordinate system and serves as a reference for placement without requiring physical sensors or trays. The virtual tray is generated based on detector information about the conveyor belt position, allowing the robot to align articles precisely using digital rather than physical references.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical detection system (phototube sensors detecting physical marks on the conveyor) with a detector-based system that provides positional information to generate a virtual reference. Instead of using physical trays as mechanical guides, the system uses a digitally generated virtual tray that is updated based on conveyor position detection, eliminating the need for expensive sensors and physical alignment aids.
2Manufacturing precision
If servomotors are used for pitch feeding conveyor, then article interval alignment is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual tray as a digital copy of the physical tray structure. This virtual tray exists in the robot's coordinate system and serves as a reference for placement without requiring physical sensors or trays. The virtual tray is generated based on detector information about the conveyor belt position, allowing the robot to align articles precisely using digital rather than physical references.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical detection system (phototube sensors detecting physical marks on the conveyor) with a detector-based system that provides positional information to generate a virtual reference. Instead of using physical trays as mechanical guides, the system uses a digitally generated virtual tray that is updated based on conveyor position detection, eliminating the need for expensive sensors and physical alignment aids.
3Manufacturing precision
If marks are applied to conveyor belt for alignment reference, then article alignment is improved, but maintenance frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual tray as a digital copy of the physical tray structure. This virtual tray exists in the robot's coordinate system and serves as a reference for placement without requiring physical sensors or trays. The virtual tray is generated based on detector information about the conveyor belt position, allowing the robot to align articles precisely using digital rather than physical references.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical detection system (phototube sensors detecting physical marks on the conveyor) with a detector-based system that provides positional information to generate a virtual reference. Instead of using physical trays as mechanical guides, the system uses a digitally generated virtual tray that is updated based on conveyor position detection, eliminating the need for expensive sensors and physical alignment aids.
4Manufacturing precision
If post-process interval correction is performed, then article interval accuracy is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent generates the virtual tray in advance before the robot performs the placement operation. The virtual tray is created based on detector information about the conveyor belt position, so when the robot needs to place an article, the reference position is already prepared. This eliminates the need for post-process corrections because the alignment reference is established beforehand, allowing the robot to place articles directly at the correct positions without subsequent adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual tray as a digital copy of the physical tray structure. This virtual tray exists in the robot's coordinate system and serves as a reference for placement without requiring physical sensors or trays. The virtual tray is generated based on detector information about the conveyor belt position, allowing the robot to align articles precisely using digital rather than physical references.
Data Source
AI summary
An article alignment apparatus includes an interval setting unit configured to specify a distance between articles aligned along a movement direction of a conveyor, a movement amount acquisition unit configured to acquire a movement amount of a placement portion of the conveyor from a detector, a virtual target generation unit configured to generate a virtual target which serves as a reference in positioning the article on the placement portion, before a robot executes a placement operation of the article, and a placement operation execution unit configured to place the article within the virtual target by tracking the virtual target moving together with the conveyor based on information detected by the detector.