Bag Former Assembly Segmented Contact Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bag former assemblies lack stability and are difficult and time-consuming to disassemble and reassemble for cleaning and maintenance purposes.
Innovation Solution
A bag former assembly with a base plate, a single bracing post, a fill tube, and contact arms that can be easily secured and unsecured using locking and bracing orifices, allowing for stable operation and tool-free disassembly and reassembly, along with a gas flow system for maintaining product freshness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional bag former assemblies are used, then structural stability is achieved, but disassembly and reassembly become difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly is divided into separable components including the fill tube, contact arms, and base plate that can be easily detached from one another. The contact arms are segmented with individual locking orifices that allow independent removal, enabling rapid disassembly for cleaning without requiring complete teardown of the structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact arms are designed with movable locking mechanisms that transition between locked and unlocked states. The stabilizer pins can be inserted or removed through bracing orifices to dynamically change the assembly state between secured operational configuration and disassembled maintenance configuration.
2Ease of repair
If traditional bag former assemblies are used, then structural stability is achieved, but the assembly becomes difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The fill tube, contact arms, and base plate are designed as separate modular components that can be independently removed and cleaned. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and clean each component separately without disassembling the entire complex structure, significantly improving ease of maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking orifices and stabilizer pin system is designed to be tool-free, allowing operators to perform maintenance and cleaning operations themselves without requiring specialized tools or complex procedures. The components can be easily detached and reattached by personnel performing routine maintenance.
3Stability of the object's composition
If contact arms are secured to bracing post, then stability is improved, but disassembly becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The contact arms feature a dynamic locking system using stabilizer pins that can be easily inserted into or removed from alignment orifices. This creates a reversible securing mechanism where the contact arms are stable during operation when locked, but can be quickly removed when the stabilizer pins are extracted, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional complex mechanical fastening system is replaced with a simple pin-and-orifice locking mechanism. The stabilizer pins align with bracing orifices and locking orifices to provide secure positioning during operation, but can be easily removed to allow rapid disassembly, substituting complex mechanical interlocking with a simpler, more maintainable system.
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 assembly provides improved stability and ease of maintenance, reducing unwanted movement and simplifying cleaning processes while ensuring product freshness through the use of a gas flow system.
Implementation Method 1
A gas flow conduit can be disposed on the contact arm and can be capable of delivering gas from the gas intake nozzle to the interior region of the fill tube
Data Source
AI summary
A former assembly for forming and fabricating bags from flexible sheet material is provided. The former assembly can include a base plate having an aperture that extends from a first surface to a second surface thereof. A bracing post can be attached to the base plate on the first surface proximate the aperture. An annular space can be formed between the tube and the base plate. The annular space can be sized for the passage of the flexible sheet material.