Coiling Head Wedge Mechanism for Medical Tubing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coiling heads cause damage such as indentations and kinks in elongated materials due to gaps between paddles during the coiling process, which is undesirable, especially for sensitive materials like medical tubing.
Innovation Solution
A new coiling head design that expands to zero or near-zero gaps for secure coiling and collapses for easy material removal, utilizing a wedge mechanism with leaves that expand and collapse to maintain contact around the circumference, allowing for secure wrapping and simple unloading without tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If paddles are spaced with gaps between them during coiling, then the coiling head structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but the elongated material suffers damage such as indentations and kinks where the material sags between the paddles
Solution Approach 1:
The coiling head is divided into multiple individual paddles (typically four) that can be independently positioned and adjusted. Each paddle acts as a separate support element, allowing the material to be supported at multiple points around the circumference while maintaining a simpler overall structure compared to a continuous ring design.
Solution Approach 2:
The paddles are made movable through a hinge mechanism that allows them to collapse from an expanded coiling position to a collapsed unloading position. This dynamic capability enables the same structure to provide full circumferential support during coiling while facilitating easy material removal by collapsing the paddles to create gaps.
2Productivity
If the coiling is performed tightly around the paddles, then the coiling process is more efficient and compact, but the coiled materials become difficult to remove from the coiling head
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism enables the paddles to dynamically change their configuration between an expanded state for tight coiling and a collapsed state for easy material removal. This dynamic transformation allows the system to optimize for both coiling efficiency and material unloading without requiring separate mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the coiling head into separate hinged paddles rather than a rigid continuous structure, the system can independently adjust each paddle's position. This segmentation allows the paddles to be collapsed individually or collectively to create sufficient clearance for material removal while maintaining structural integrity during coiling.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If zero or near-zero gaps are achieved during coiling, then the elongated material is protected from damage, but the coiling head structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The use of multiple discrete paddles (typically four) distributed around the circumference provides sufficient support points to prevent material sagging and damage while maintaining a relatively simple structure. Each paddle is a simple component, and their distributed arrangement achieves full circumferential coverage without requiring a complex continuous structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism provides a simple dynamic connection between paddles and the central hub, enabling the structure to transform between expanded and collapsed states without complex actuators or mechanisms. This simple hinged connection achieves the desired functionality with minimal added 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
The design effectively prevents indentations and kinks during coiling, enabling quick and damage-free removal of materials, while being cost-effective and suitable for various applications, including medical tubing.
Implementation Method 1
a conical outer surface adapted to engage said bottom of said at least two leaves; and wherein when said cylindrical wedge is adapted to selectively push said at least two leaves away from said axis of said cylindrical wedge when pushed in one direction along said axis of said cylindrical wedge and to push toward said axis of said cylindrical wedge when pushed in opposite of said direction
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is an apparatus, system and method for a new and improved coiling head utilized in wrapping elongated materials, which may have a zero and or near zero gap between leaves thereby reducing and or elimination indentations in the coiled elongated materials.