Bag Closing Clipper Using Co-Acting Edges for Clean Severing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bag closing machines face issues with inaccurate and unpredictable severing of clips from strips, leading to contamination and environmental concerns due to brittle plastic materials, and increased misapplication at higher operating speeds, necessitating a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution.
Innovation Solution
A bag closing apparatus with a guide frame, clipper, and displacement structure using co-acting cutting edges to sever clips from a strip, allowing for the use of both non-frangible and biodegradable materials, and improving the predictability and safety of the clip-severing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If clips are made from brittle plastic material to enable frangible design, then the clips can be easily severed, but small fragments break loose and contaminate the packaging operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and material properties by transitioning from brittle plastic to semi-rigid foam material. This parameter change allows the clip to be severed cleanly without fragmenting, as the foam material maintains structural integrity during the severing process while still enabling easy separation when properly actuated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining foam material with potential reinforcement elements or coatings. This composite approach provides both the ease of severing through the foam's inherent properties and the fragment-free characteristic, as the material can be designed to separate cleanly along predetermined fracture lines without creating contaminants.
2Productivity
If operating speeds of bagging machines are increased to improve productivity, then more articles can be processed per unit time, but misapplication and improper severing of clips increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary action by pre-positioning and pre-aligning the clip on the strip before the severing operation. The clip is held in a predetermined position with proper orientation, and the severing mechanism is pre-aligned to cut at the exact location. This preliminary preparation ensures that even at high speeds, the clip is applied accurately without misalignment or improper severing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical alignment and positioning systems with a simplified mechanism that uses the inherent properties of the foam material and a streamlined severing approach. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity and potential failure points, allowing high-speed operation while maintaining reliability through the material's self-aligning characteristics and the simplified severing mechanism.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional frangible plastic clips are used, then the clips can be easily broken, but they are not environmentally friendly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional plastic to semi-rigid foam material, which offers both ease of severing and environmental benefits. The foam material can be sourced from environmentally friendly, biodegradable, or recyclable materials, eliminating the environmental pollution issue while maintaining the functional requirement of easy separation through controlled severing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite or alternative materials that combine the mechanical properties needed for easy severing with environmental sustainability. The foam material can be formulated from eco-friendly components, creating a clip that is both functional and environmentally responsible, replacing traditional plastic that contributes to pollution.
Data Source
AI summary
A clip-separating machine is provided with a guide frame, a clipper, and a displacement structure. The guide frame is configured to support a strip of clips. The clipper has a pair of opposed cutting edges. One of the edges is supported for movement toward and away from another of the edges. The displacement structure is configured to move the one cutting edge toward the other cutting edge so as to cause co-action of the cutting edges to sever a terminal clip from a strip of clips. A method is also provided.