Hand-Held Binding Apparatus With Dynamic Wire Tension Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural binding apparatuses lack the ability to adjust wire tension in real-time as the wire is being pulled around objects, leading to potential damage to delicate vine shoots due to excessive tension or slacking, especially when encountering objects of varying diameters.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held binding apparatus with a tension adjusting mechanism that allows for selective pushing or restraining of the wire, controlled by motors and gears, to maintain tension within a predefined range, ensuring consistent binding performance across different object diameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the wire is pulled around large diameter or rough objects, then the binding coverage is improved, but the wire tension becomes excessively high causing damage to vine shoots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a tension adjusting means that dynamically modifies the wire tension during the binding operation. As the pulling member moves around objects of varying diameters and surface conditions, the tension adjusting means selectively pushes or restrains the wire to maintain tension within a safe range, preventing damage to delicate vine shoots while accommodating large diameter or rough objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of wire tension during operation. By using the tension adjusting means to push or restrain the wire, the patent modifies the tension parameter in real-time based on the object being bound, ensuring optimal tension for different binding scenarios without causing damage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the wire is pushed around objects without tension, then the apparatus can handle various objects, but the wire becomes slack or crumpled making it difficult to reach the terminal
Solution Approach 1:
The tension adjusting means provides dynamic control of wire tension during the pushing operation. Rather than maintaining constant tension or no tension, the system adaptively adjusts tension levels to ensure the wire remains sufficiently taut to reach the terminal while still being gentle enough not to damage the vine shoot, resolving the contradiction between handling versatility and operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback through the tension adjusting means which responds to the wire's movement and tension state. This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain appropriate tension levels that prevent wire slacking while ensuring the wire can be properly guided to the terminal for twisting.
3Strength
If high wire tension is used to ensure secure binding, then binding strength is improved, but the wire may break when encountering large diameter or rough objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamic tension adjustment to maintain binding strength without causing wire breakage. The tension adjusting means continuously adapts the wire tension during the binding operation, providing high tension when needed for secure binding on suitable objects, and reducing tension when encountering large diameter or rough objects that would cause wire breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides protective cushioning by anticipating and preventing excessive tension buildup. The tension adjusting means acts as a cushioning mechanism that limits maximum wire tension to below the breakage threshold while still maintaining sufficient tension for effective binding, thereby protecting against wire failure.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to the present invention there is provided a hand-held binding apparatus (1) for binding a branch (3) to a support (2) using wire (4), the binding apparatus (1) comprising, a pulling member (5) which can hold a wire (4), and which is operable to move around the branch (3) and support (2), so that the pulling member (5) pulls the wire (4) around said branch (3) and support (2); and a tension adjusting means (6) which is selectively operable to push, or restrain, said wire (4) which the pulling member (5) pulls, to adjust the tension in the wire (4).