Disposable Chute Trays for Molding Machine Part Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Molding machines often lack effective and convenient chutes for catching and sorting plastic parts, as existing chutes tend to clog, become soiled, or cause nuisances, leading to makeshift and inefficient solutions.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible chute system comprising a supporting base and a trough, made from inexpensive materials like cardboard or plastic, which can be easily folded and secured together, allowing for flexible attachment and replacement, with features like foldable panels and notched tabs for secure assembly and easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional metal or plastic chutes are used and attached to the molding machine, then the chute can catch and sort plastic parts, but the chute tends to clog, become soiled, and require maintenance and cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable paper chutes that are inexpensive to manufacture and can be quickly replaced. Instead of cleaning and maintaining expensive metal or plastic chutes, the solution is to use cheap paper chutes that can be discarded after becoming soiled or clogged, eliminating maintenance requirements and ensuring consistent performance without the burden of cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a system where used chutes are discarded and replaced with fresh ones. The disposable nature of the paper chute allows for easy disposal of soiled or clogged chutes, and the ability to quickly install replacement chutes ensures minimal downtime and consistent operational reliability.
2Ease of operation
If chutes are jerry-rigged to the machine with boxes, chains, tape, or other precarious attachments, then the chute can be supported under the drop zone, but the attachment method is unstable and requires frequent adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The paper chute is designed with self-supporting features including foldable panels that create rigid structural elements and tab-receiving slot mechanisms that enable the chute to attach and support itself without external fixtures. The chute's own structure provides the stability needed to operate reliably under the molding machine drop zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The chute is divided into multiple foldable panels and sections with tab-receiving slot connections. This segmentation allows the chute to be easily assembled and positioned while maintaining stability through the interlocking panel structure, providing both positioning flexibility and attachment stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a chute is designed to be easily manufactured from inexpensive materials, then the chute can be replaced frequently and cost-effectively, but the structural integrity and stability of the chute may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses paper as the base material for the chute, which is then transformed through folding into rigid structural panels. The foldable paper panels create a rigid structure that maintains structural integrity despite the inexpensive material, allowing the chute to be both cheap to manufacture and strong enough to handle plastic parts effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The chute is pre-folded into its final three-dimensional configuration with rigid panels and structural elements before use. This preliminary folding action transforms the flat paper material into a structurally sound chute that can support itself and maintain integrity during operation, eliminating the need for complex assembly while ensuring structural strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable and disposable chute trough and base blanks wherein said base can be folded to provide an angled support for said trough and wherein said trough detachably secures to said base at a single pivot point and can thus be replaced once soiled.