Cassette Closing Mechanism for Odor-Sealed Flexible Tube Packing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging apparatuses for disposable objects are prone to breakage, costly, difficult to use, and ineffective in containing odors, with complex mechanisms that often lead to cassette misorientation and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A cassette with a chamfered or frustoconical clearance at the bottom of the annular receptacle ensures proper orientation, combined with a simple closing mechanism using biased 'C'-shaped portions to seal the tubing, minimizing parts and preventing odor escape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex mechanisms with many parts are used to close and pull the tube, then the tube can be sealed and moved, but the device becomes prone to breakage and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex squeezing device with multiple rotatable members and bars from the container. Instead, a simple closing member is mounted on the cassette itself to perform the closing function, extracting the complexity from the system while maintaining the essential function of sealing the tube.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing member is integrated into the cassette structure, allowing the cassette to perform its own closing function without requiring external complex mechanisms. The cassette becomes self-sufficient in sealing the tube, eliminating the need for separate squeezing devices with multiple moving parts.
2Ease of operation
If complex squeezing devices with multiple parts are used, then the tube can be pulled down, but the device becomes difficult to operate and understand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the complex squeezing device with rotatable members and lever actuation from the system. The simplified closing member on the cassette requires no complex actuation mechanism, making the device much easier to operate and understand for the end user.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having a complex device act on the cassette to close the tube, the invention inverts the approach by mounting the closing function directly on the cassette itself. This reversal simplifies the overall system and makes operation more intuitive.
3Reliability
If complex mechanisms are used, then the tube can be sealed, but the fabrication cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the expensive complex squeezing device with multiple precision-machined parts from the system. The simplified closing member can be manufactured more easily and at lower cost, while still achieving effective sealing of the tube.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing member is integrated into the disposable cassette, which is replaced periodically. This eliminates the need for expensive, durable mechanisms that require long-term reliability, allowing the use of simpler, cheaper components that are replaced with the cassette.
4Productivity
If excess film is used from the cassettes, then the tube can be formed, but the cost of use increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical squeezing device with a simple closing member that seals the tube without requiring excessive film. The closing action is more precise and requires less material to achieve the same sealing effect, reducing film waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the mechanical parameters of the closing action, using a simpler closing mechanism that applies force more efficiently. This results in better sealing with less film material consumed during the closing process.
5Reliability
If complex mechanisms are used, then the tube can be sealed, but odor containment becomes ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex squeezing device that failed to provide effective odor containment. The simplified closing member creates a more reliable seal by directly closing the tube opening without the intermediate steps and potential failure points of the complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing member is part of the disposable cassette system, ensuring that the sealing surface is always clean and functional. This eliminates the risk of odor leakage due to contamination or wear of reusable components in complex mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A cassette for dispensing bags from an elongated tubing comprising an annular receptacle accommodating a length of tubing in an accumulated condition. An annular opening at an upper end of the annular receptacle is for dispensing the tubing. The annular receptacle defines a central opening through which a knotted end of the tubing passes to form a bag supported by the annular receptacle with disposable objects passing through the circular central opening to be received in the bag, and a clearance only at a bottom of the central opening.