Closure Clip Feeding Guide for Vibration-Resistant Die Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing clipping machines face issues with the accurate positioning of closure clips due to vibrations and tension, leading to improper placement in the die, which affects the reliability and safety of the sausage-shaped product production process.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a feeding device and a guide device with a holding unit that selectively feeds strands of closure clips and guides them to the closing position, using a guide track and holding units to maintain precise positioning, preventing unintended movement during the feeding process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If closure clips are fed under tension from a reel, then the feeding process can continue without interruption, but the clips may change position unintentionally due to vibrations and tension

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous feeding capabilityVSAvoidclip positioning accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A holding unit acts as an intermediary between the tensioned clip strand and the feeding mechanism. This holding unit temporarily retains the clips in a controlled position, isolating the feeding process from the harmful effects of tension and vibrations, thereby ensuring precise clip placement in the die while maintaining continuous operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Duration of action of moving object

If the closure clip strand is kept under tension, then the feeding process remains continuous, but vibrations cause the foremost clip to be misplaced in the die

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous operationVSAvoidclip placement reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The holding unit performs a preliminary action by pre-positioning the closure clips in the correct location before the feeding process begins. This preliminary positioning compensates for subsequent vibrations and tension effects, ensuring that even if vibrations occur during continuous operation, the clips remain reliably positioned in the die

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If multiple strands of closure clips are fed in parallel, then productivity increases, but the complexity of guiding and positioning each strand increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction rateVSAvoidguide device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide device is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple strands of closure clips simultaneously. The same guiding and holding mechanism can accommodate different numbers of strands (one, two, or more), making the system universally applicable to various production requirements without increasing complexity when multiple strands are fed in parallel

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4609717A1Clip feeding system
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 POLY CLIP SYST
  • EP4609717A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4609717A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4609717A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a system (1) for feeding closure clips (C) to a clip-ping device (20) of a clip-ping machine (CM) for producing sausage-shaped products (S), like sausages. The system (1) comprises a feeding device (300 for feeding at least a first and a second strand of closure clips (C) towards said clipping device (20), and a guide device (200) including at least a first and a second guide channel (216; 218) for guiding the at least first and second strand of closure clips (C) towards a closing position of the clipping device (20) of said clipping ma-chine (CM). The guide device (200) includes a holding unit (220) for holding at least one of the first and second strands of closure clips (C) in its position while not being fed by the feeding device (300). The present invention further relates to a clipping ma-chine (CM) for producing sausage-shaped products (S) which includes a system (1) for feeding closure clips (C) to the clipping device (20) of the clipping machine (CM), a guide device (200) for use in a clipping machine (CM), and a method for producing sausage-shaped products (S).