Washing Conveyor Alignment via Vibration Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing washing units for empty articles face challenges in ensuring precise angular positions between conveyors, leading to potential damage or blockages, requiring manual intervention and increasing the risk of operation interruption.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of sensors and a control unit to detect the vibratory state of conveyors and sequencing devices, filtering signals to disregard non-error-related vibrations, allowing for precise detection of mutual positions between conveyors and guiding components, ensuring smooth article transfer and reducing the risk of damage or interruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual visual checking is used to monitor conveyor positions, then operational simplicity is maintained, but reliability decreases due to potential human error and interruption risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual checking with an automated sensor-based detection system. Sensors mounted on the conveyor and sequencing device detect misalignment conditions automatically, eliminating the need for manual monitoring and reducing reliance on human operators while improving operational reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through sensors that continuously monitor the angular positions of conveyors and sequencing devices. When misalignment is detected, the system can trigger alerts or automatic corrections, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains reliability without increasing overall system complexity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If precise angular positioning is maintained between conveyors, then article damage is prevented, but device complexity increases due to additional positioning mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sensors to detect potential misalignment conditions before they result in article damage. By identifying angular position deviations early in the transfer process, the system can take preventive action without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms, thus protecting articles while avoiding excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing system acts as an intermediary between the conveyor components and the control system. Rather than directly mechanically linking or mechanically adjusting the conveyors, the sensors provide information that enables indirect control and positioning, reducing the complexity of direct mechanical positioning mechanisms while still preventing article damage.
3Productivity
If automated sensor detection is implemented, then operational continuity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service through automated sensor detection and control that monitors and adjusts conveyor positioning without external intervention. The sensors and control systems work autonomously to maintain operational continuity, eliminating the need for manual monitoring and reducing downtime while the added complexity is justified by the gain in productivity and operational continuity.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is disclosed a processing unit (1) for processing articles (2), comprising conveying means (105, 4, 130, 131) for advancing articles (2) along a path (M); conveying means (105, 4, 130, 131) comprise, in turn, at least one first conveyor (105, 4) which advances articles (2) along a first portion (S, Q) of path (M); and at least one second conveyor (4, 130), which advances articles (2) along a second portion (Q, U) of path (M); second conveyor (4, 130) being arranged immediately downstream of first conveyor (105, 4) proceeding according the advancing direction of articles (2) along path (M) and adapted to receive articles (2) from first conveyor (105, 4, 130) at a transfer station (I, 0); first conveyor (105, 4) and second conveyor (4, 130) being arrangeable in an ideal mutual position with respect to one another at transfer station (I, 0); processing unit (1) further comprises sensor means (20, 21, 22) for sensing a quantity associated to the vibratory state of at least one of first and second conveyor (105, 4; 4, 130); and a control unit (25) configured to detect the actual mutual position of first conveyor (105, 4) and second conveyor (4, 130) with respect to one another, on the basis of quantity sensed by sensor means (20, 21, 22).