Adjustable Expansion Assembly for Dunnage Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dunnage conversion machines are not ideal for all applications, particularly when dealing with varying types of expandable slit-sheet stock material, as they often result in jamming, compression, or tearing due to inflexibility in accommodating different thicknesses and slit patterns.
Innovation Solution
A dunnage conversion machine with an adjustable expansion assembly that allows for varying the spacing between axes of rotation, enabling the processing of pre-slit sheet stock materials of different thicknesses and slit patterns without compression or tearing, using a system with pivotable support members and adjustable sections of differing thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the spacing between axes of rotation is fixed in existing dunnage conversion machines, then the machine structure is simple and stable, but it cannot accommodate varying types of expandable slit-sheet stock material with different thicknesses and slit patterns, resulting in jamming, compression, or tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion assembly incorporates adjustable support members that can change the spacing between axes of rotation dynamically. This allows the machine to adapt to different material thicknesses and slit patterns by modifying the geometric parameters of the expansion mechanism, resolving the contradiction between fixed structure stability and adaptability to varying materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the expansion assembly, specifically the spacing between axes of rotation, to accommodate different types of expandable slit-sheet stock material. By adjusting this parameter, the machine can process materials with varying thicknesses and slit patterns without jamming, compression, or tearing.
2Ease of operation
If the expansion assembly uses fixed spacing between components, then the manufacturing and operation are straightforward, but it causes compression of expanded dunnage product, jamming in the conversion machine, and tearing of the pre-slit sheet stock material when processing materials of different thicknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The support members are designed to be adjustable, allowing operators to modify the spacing between axes of rotation based on the specific material being processed. This dynamic adjustment capability prevents jamming and tearing by ensuring proper clearance and expansion space for each material type, while maintaining ease of operation through a straightforward adjustment mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment mechanism is designed to be user-friendly and self-contained, allowing operators to easily configure the expansion assembly for different materials without requiring complex procedures or specialized knowledge. The support members can be adjusted to accommodate varying material thicknesses and slit patterns, preventing operational issues like jamming and tearing.
3Manufacturing precision
If the machine processes pre-slit sheet stock material with varying slit patterns and thicknesses using fixed spacing, then the structural design is simplified, but it results in non-uniform expansion, compression, and damage to the material
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the geometric parameters of the expansion assembly, specifically the spacing between axes of rotation and the position of support members, to achieve uniform expansion of pre-slit sheet stock material with varying slit patterns and thicknesses. This parameter adjustment ensures that the expansion force is distributed evenly across the material, preventing compression and damage while maintaining manufacturing precision.
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 machine effectively converts expandable slit-sheet stock into a less dense dunnage product with uniform expansion, preventing jamming and tearing, and accommodating diverse material characteristics, ensuring efficient production of dunnage products.
Implementation Method 1
When tension is applied across the slits, the slits will open, sheet material between the slits will rotate out of the original plane of the unexpanded sheet material, and the sheet material will expand from a substantially flat, two-dimensional sheet with minimal thickness to a relatively less dense dunnage product
Data Source
AI summary
A dunnage conversion machine for converting an expandable pre-slit sheet stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product includes an improved expansion assembly that provides means for adjusting the spacing between axes of rotation of components through which the sheet stock material is drawn. The adjustability enables pre-slit sheet stock materials of differing thicknesses and/or having differing slit patterns to be fed through the expansion assembly with no or minimal compression of an expanded dunnage product, jamming in the conversion machine, bunching, and/or tearing of the pre-slit sheet stock material or expanded dunnage product resulting from expansion of the pre-slit sheet stock material.