Bag Welding Head With Movable Suction To Prevent Cooling

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing bag welding and cutting apparatuses for food packaging, such as pasta bags, suffer from imperfect welding due to the cooling effect caused by the suction device's arrangement over the welding zone, leading to poor packaging quality.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus features a pair of welding elements that can transition between resting and working positions, cutting means to remove excess bag material, and suction means with clamping mechanisms to manage the cut portion, ensuring it is positioned away from the welding zone to prevent cooling and enhance suction efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the suction device is arranged over the welding zone to remove cut parts, then the suction efficiency is improved, but the welding elements are cooled causing imperfect welding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesuction efficiencyVSAvoidwelding quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The suction device is made movable relative to the welding zone, allowing it to dynamically change position. During welding, the suction device is retracted or positioned away from the welding area to avoid cooling the welding elements. After welding completes, the suction device moves into position to efficiently remove cut parts. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction by allowing high suction efficiency when needed while preventing welding quality degradation during the welding process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If the suction mouth is positioned over the welding zone, then the cut part removal is effective, but the welding temperature is reduced leading to poor welding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecut part removal efficiencyVSAvoidwelding element temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The welding process is completed first while the suction device remains positioned away from the welding zone, ensuring welding elements maintain their operating temperature. Only after welding is complete does the suction device move into position to remove cut parts. This preliminary completion of welding before activating suction prevents the temperature contradiction by sequencing operations to avoid thermal interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The suction device dynamically adjusts its position based on the operational phase. During welding, it remains retracted or positioned laterally away from the welding zone. After welding completes, it moves forward to engage with cut parts for removal. This dynamic behavior allows the system to achieve effective cut part removal without compromising welding element temperature.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the suction device operates during welding, then the cut part removal is simultaneous with welding, but the welding quality deteriorates due to cooling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocess efficiencyVSAvoidwelding quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The suction operation is performed periodically after welding completes rather than simultaneously during welding. The process sequence is: welding operation first, then suction device moves into position, then cut part removal occurs. This periodic sequencing maintains welding quality by preventing cooling during the welding phase while still achieving efficient cut part removal in the subsequent phase, thus resolving the quality-efficiency contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

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

This configuration ensures high-quality bag welding and cutting by maintaining the welding elements' temperature and improving the suction process, resulting in better packaging quality by preventing cooling and ensuring effective removal of the cut bag portion.

Implementation Method 1

suction means configured to suck said previously cut upper part of the head of the bag

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP3339198B1Apparatus for welding and cutting a head of bags for foods
Publication Date: 2019.08.14 ALTOPACK
  • EP3339198B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3339198B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3339198B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An apparatus for welding and cutting a head of bags for foods is described. The apparatus comprises: - a pair of first (412) and second (411) welding elements, - means (413-416) able to arrange the first and second welding elements in a resting position (A1), in which the first and second welding elements are in opening position, and at a working position (A2), in which the first and second welding elements are in closing position on the flaps (3) of the head of the bag for welding said flaps, - cutting means (420) able to cut the upper part (401) of the head of the bag in the working position (A2) of the first and second welding elements, said upper part being positioned over the previously welded part of the head of the bag, - suction means (430) configured to suck said previously cut upper part of the head of the bag, - clamping means (440) able to grip the previously cut upper part of the head of the bag in the working position of the first and second welding elements and to arrange it over the first welding element (412) in the resting position of said first and second welding elements for the suction operation of the suction means.