Coil Spring Handling Device with Elastic Constriction Zone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coil springs tend to tangle during storage due to their elongate shape and unstable rest position, making handling time-consuming and costly when preparing them for assembly.
Innovation Solution
A device with an internal housing and a constriction zone that can be deformed to securely hold and release coil springs, allowing easy insertion and extraction by compressing the device's outer wall, and an installation with holder and force-application means for automated handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If coil springs are stored in bulk together, then storage space is utilized efficiently, but the articles become tangled together
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the bulk storage into individual units by placing each coil spring in a separate housing. This segmentation prevents tangling while maintaining storage efficiency, as each spring is isolated in its own container rather than stored in bulk together.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs nested housings where smaller housings containing individual springs can be placed within larger housing structures. This nesting approach enables efficient bulk storage of multiple individual springs while maintaining their separation to prevent tangling.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a stable rest position is provided for the article, then storage stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with a bottom surface that provides a stable rest position for the coil spring, creating an equipotential state where the spring naturally settles. This simple geometric feature provides storage stability without adding complex mechanical stabilization mechanisms.
3Strength
If the constriction zone is made rigid for strong retention, then retention strength is improved, but the ease of insertion and extraction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The constriction zone is designed with elastic properties that allow it to dynamically change its retention strength. During insertion, the elastic material deforms to reduce retention, allowing easy insertion. Once the spring is in place, the material returns to its original state providing strong retention. The same elastic property allows easy extraction by deforming the material again.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in the physical parameters of the constriction zone material, specifically its elasticity. The material's ability to deform and recover allows the retention strength parameter to be temporarily reduced during insertion/extraction operations, then restored to provide strong retention during storage.
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 quick and efficient handling of coil springs by preventing tangling during storage and enabling automated insertion and extraction, reducing handling time and costs.
Implementation Method 1
a constriction zone (14) that is suitable, in a stable state in which said constriction zone presents a reduced dimension that is reduced in a first direction, for retaining said article inside the body, and for being deformed to adopt a deformed configuration enabling said article to be inserted into the housing or enabling said article to be extracted from the housing
Implementation Method 2
the constriction zone in its deformed configuration is in a state that is unstable, such that as soon as the force causing the deformation ceases, the constriction zone returns to its stable state
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (11) for handling an article (13) such as a coil spring, and to an installation for handling an article. The device (11) comprises a body (10) having an internal housing (12) suitable for containing said article (13), said housing (12) presenting at least one open end (10A, 10B) and a constriction zone (14) that is suitable in a stable state, in which said constriction zone (14) presents a reduce dimension (D14X) that is reduced in a first direction (X), for retaining said article (13) inside the body (10), and for being deformed to adopt a deformed configuration enabling said article (13) to be inserted into the housing (12) or enabling said article (13) to be extracted from the housing (12). The installation includes force-application means for acting on the device to change it between its stable state and its deformed configuration.