Angled Facemask Tie Attachment for High-Speed Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current facemask production lines are limited to producing 100 masks per minute, falling short of the estimated demand during pandemics, and the existing tie attachment methods cause stress concentrations and potential failure at attachment points, hindering high-speed manufacturing and durability.
Innovation Solution
Facemasks with ties angled between 10 to 80 degrees relative to the longitudinal direction are manufactured by attaching ties at an angle to the web material during production, reducing stress concentrations and allowing for high-speed manufacturing on a single production line capable of producing multiple facemask types without downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ties are attached perpendicular to the edges of the rectangular body, then the attachment process is simple, but stress concentrations occur at the attachment points causing potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by attaching ties at an angle (10-80 degrees) rather than perpendicular (90 degrees) to the longitudinal edges. This asymmetric attachment angle redistributes the stress away from the attachment points, preventing stress concentrations while maintaining manufacturing feasibility. The angled configuration changes the force distribution geometry, making the attachment points more reliable without significantly complicating the attachment process.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual methods are used to rotate rectangular bodies and attach ties, then attachment precision can be maintained, but production speed is limited to about 100 facemasks per minute
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-attaching the ties to the longitudinal edges of the rectangular bodies before the bodies are rotated into their final orientation. This allows the attachment operation to be performed on the flat, easily accessible longitudinal edges while the web is still in its original orientation, rather than attempting to attach ties after rotation. The ties are then positioned correctly through the rotation process itself, achieving both high precision and high speed production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional sequence by attaching ties to the longitudinal edges before rotation, rather than attaching them to the transverse edges after rotation. This inversion of the attachment timing and location allows automated high-speed attachment while ensuring correct final positioning, as the rotation process naturally orients the pre-attached ties into their proper final positions.
3Productivity
If high-speed production lines are implemented, then productivity increases to meet pandemic demand, but the ability to switch between different facemask types is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single production line configuration that can produce multiple facemask types (different tie angles, different edge orientations) without requiring line shutdown or reconfiguration. The automated attachment system can vary the tie attachment angle and selection based on programmed parameters, allowing the same high-speed production line to manufacture different facemask variants by simply changing control settings rather than physical equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A facemask and automated system for producing facemasks is disclosed. The facemask has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The facemask includes a mask body having a generally rectangular shape, a pair of lateral edges extending in the lateral direction, and a pair of longitudinal edges extending in the longitudinal direction. At least one tie is attached to the mask body such that the tie extends away from the mask body in a direction that forms an angle with the longitudinal direction. The angle ranges from about 10 degrees to about 80 degrees.