Bi-Stable Magnet Spool Fixation for Wire Winding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spool fixation methods for wire winding installations, particularly with steel wires or cords, face challenges in efficiently and safely replacing spools, especially with heavy loads, as they require significant manual effort and energy, and often rely on unreliable magnetic forces or cumbersome drive pins.
Innovation Solution
A spool fixation device featuring a rotatable flange with radially mounted magnet assemblies that can be set to a 'hold' or 'release' state, using permanent magnets sealed in non-magnetic housings, which only require energy input during spool loading or unloading, eliminating the need for drive pins and reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If permanent magnets are used to hold spools, then spool retention is improved, but manual effort to remove heavy spools increases
Solution Approach 1:
The magnet assembly is designed with movable magnets that can dynamically change position between a first position (for holding spools) and a second position (for releasing spools). This dynamic repositioning allows the system to adapt its magnetic holding force based on operational needs, enabling easy removal of heavy spools while maintaining secure retention during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically positioning the magnets in the first position before spool removal is attempted. The control system anticipates the need for spool removal and pre-positions the magnets to release state, eliminating the need for manual effort to overcome strong magnetic forces during actual removal operations.
2Reliability
If electromagnets are used to hold spools, then spool retention is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces electromagnets with permanent magnets, substituting an electrical system with a mechanical/magnetic system that does not require continuous energy input. The permanent magnets provide sufficient holding force through their inherent magnetic field, eliminating the need for electrical power during spool retention while maintaining reliable holding capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous energy input required by electromagnets, the system uses periodic action only when needed for magnet repositioning. The magnets are moved between positions only during spool loading/unloading operations, while remaining stationary during operation, thus minimizing energy consumption to discrete periodic events rather than continuous consumption.
3Power
If drive pins are used to transfer torque, then torque transmission is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the drive pin component from the system. Instead of using a separate mechanical drive pin to transfer torque, the system relies on the friction and magnetic interaction between the magnet assembly and spool flange to transmit torque, thereby simplifying the device by eliminating unnecessary components.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnet assembly serves multiple functions: it provides spool retention through magnetic attraction and simultaneously transfers torque through frictional contact. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate drive pins, as the same magnetic assembly that holds the spool also transmits the driving torque, reducing overall device complexity.
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
Facilitates swift, effortless, and safe spool replacement with reduced energy consumption, capable of handling spools with small bore holes and heavy loads, while ensuring secure retention and easy operation without the need for continuous energy input during rotation.
Implementation Method 1
the one or more magnet assemblies can be set to a 'hold' state for magnetically holding the flange of the spool against the rotatable flange
Implementation Method 2
or can be set to a 'release state' for removing the spool from the flange
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
A spool fixation device (100) for use in a wire winding installation such as a steel wire processing installation is disclosed. In this spool fixation device spools having a magnetically attractable flange are held to a rotatable flange (102) by means of magnet assemblies (104, 104', 104", 104"'). Particular about the magnet assemblies is that they can be switched between a 'hold' state and a 'release' state. In a preferred embodiment the magnet assemblies only consume energy when in the 'release' state i.e. when the spool fixation device is not rotating. Alternatively the magnet assemblies can be made to only consume energy when switching states. The benefit is that when the spool is rotating no energy supply is needed. The magnet assemblies comprise permanent magnet arrays and are moveable inside a non-magnetic housing. Also a drive pin to transfer torque between rotatable flange and spool is no longer necessary. Therefore the spool fixation devices allows for a smooth changeover of spools.