Curved Anvil Perforating Apparatus for Shaped Lines of Weakness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for creating shaped lines of weakness in rolled products, such as sanitary tissue products, face challenges in high-speed production with consistent quality due to tight tolerances and vibration issues, leading to inconsistent perforations and increased equipment wear, making it difficult to distinguish products and provide a user-friendly interaction.
Innovation Solution
A perforating apparatus with a rotating cylinder and support system, featuring a shaped anvil and blade configuration that allows for adjustable interaction points and flexible blade deflection, enabling the creation of shaped lines of weakness with varying perforation characteristics, including visibility, strength, and ease of tearing, while maintaining high-speed production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If two rotating rolls are used to create a shaped line of weakness, then a shaped perforation can be achieved, but the equipment becomes complex and expensive, and the rolls must be precisely synchronized
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the perforating function into two separate components: a stationary curved anvil and a rotating blade. This segmentation eliminates the need for two synchronized rotating rolls, reducing equipment complexity while maintaining the ability to create shaped lines of weakness. The curved anvil provides the shape template, while the rotating blade delivers the cutting action.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved anvil acts as an intermediary element between the rotating blade and the web. It transfers the shaping function from a complex rotating mechanism to a stationary component, allowing the blade to follow the anvil's curved path and create the desired shaped perforation without requiring complex synchronization mechanisms.
2Shape
If two rotating rolls are used to create a shaped line of weakness, then a shaped perforation can be achieved, but the equipment must operate at lower speeds to maintain proper matching of the rolls
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the shaping function (stationary curved anvil) from the cutting function (rotating blade), the invention eliminates the speed synchronization constraints that limit production speed in dual-roll systems. The blade can rotate at high speed while the anvil remains stationary, enabling high-speed production of shaped perforations.
3Manufacturing precision
If die cutting is used to create perforations, then high precision can be achieved, but the replacement costs are high and speeds are low
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a relatively simple curved anvil and blade assembly that can be easily replaced or adjusted, compared to expensive die cutting tools. While the anvil provides precision guidance, the overall system allows for faster operation and lower replacement costs, particularly when considering the wear of die cutting knives.
4Ease of manufacture
If a straight perforation is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but consumers cannot easily distinguish the product and have limited interaction options
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies curvature to the anvil surface to create shaped perforation lines (such as sinusoidal or wavy patterns) instead of straight lines. This curvilinear approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while providing distinctive visual characteristics and multiple interaction points that enhance product differentiation and consumer engagement.
5Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are maintained in the perforating equipment, then consistent quality can be achieved, but equipment wear increases and maintenance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The curved anvil design inherently guides the blade along a precise path, providing self-alignment that reduces the need for tight tolerances and frequent adjustments. The geometry of the anvil itself ensures consistent perforation quality while reducing the maintenance burden compared to systems requiring precise mechanical tolerances.
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 solution enables the production of products with visually distinctive and user-friendly shaped lines of weakness, improving product differentiation and consumer interaction, while reducing equipment wear and maintaining high-speed manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a blade cooperates in contacting relationship with the shaped anvil to impart a shaped line of weakness onto a web
Implementation Method 2
a cylinder rotates about a longitudinal cylinder axis
Data Source
AI summary
A web may include a curvilinear line of weakness comprising a plurality of perforations and a first amplitude. The first amplitude may be less than a second amplitude of a perforating apparatus that formed the sinusoidal-shaped line of weakness comprising the first amplitude.