Adjustable Former Shoulder for Variable Bag Configurations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing former shoulders for packaging machines require multiple configurations to accommodate bags of different sizes and configurations, necessitating a wide variety of manufacturing and frequent modifications, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A former shoulder with a central aperture and internal bag material guide that allows for adjustable longitudinal edge configuration through pivotally movable arms, enabling the formation of various bag sizes and configurations without the need for replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple former shoulders are manufactured to accommodate bags of different sizes and configurations, then the packaging machine can handle various bag types, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The former shoulder is designed with adjustable guide members that can be repositioned to accommodate different bag sizes and configurations. This allows a single former shoulder unit to perform multiple functions that previously required separate dedicated units for each bag type, thereby reducing the overall number of units needed while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide members are made adjustable and repositionable rather than fixed, allowing the former shoulder configuration to be dynamically changed to suit different packaging requirements. This dynamic adjustability enables one unit to replace multiple static units designed for specific bag types.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a wide variety of former shoulders is manufactured to meet varying client needs, then client requirements are satisfied, but the manufacturing complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By designing the former shoulder with adjustable guide members that can be reconfigured, a single manufactured unit can satisfy multiple client needs for different bag types. This eliminates the requirement to manufacture and maintain inventory of multiple specialized former shoulder variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide members can be adjusted to change the geometric parameters of the formed bags, such as dimensions and configuration. This parameter adjustability allows one manufactured unit to produce various bag specifications that would otherwise require different manufactured units.
3Manufacturing precision
If former shoulders are designed for specific bag configurations, then precise bag formation is achieved, but the ability to modify for different configurations without replacement is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The guide members are designed to be adjustable and repositionable while maintaining precise positioning capability. This allows the system to achieve precise bag formation for a given configuration while also enabling modification to different configurations without replacing the entire former shoulder unit.
Data Source
AI summary
A former shoulder (10) for a packing machine. The former shoulder (10) includes a former (12) having an external surface (13) over which strip bag material passes to be reconfigured into a tubular configuration. The bag material passes downwardly through a central opening (14) in the former shoulder (10). The former shoulder (10) includes a pair of pivoted guides (22, 23) that engage edge portions of the tubular bag material to form a fold (29) in the bag configuration (26) of the tubular bag material.