Festooner With Movable Holders For Ergonomic Strip Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing festooners face challenges in ergonomically loading new strips, as the rollers at the upper end are fixed, making it difficult for operators to reach and guide the strip without causing deformation or damage, especially when the rollers are high off the ground.
Innovation Solution
A festooner design with movable holders that can adjust to minimize the buffer capacity, allowing for a more ergonomic loading position. This design includes a meandering buffer path and an endless drive element that synchronizes the speed of the rollers with the strip, reducing tensile forces and eliminating the need for a liner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the upper group of rollers is fixed at high position, then the buffer capacity can be maximized, but the ergonomics of manual strip loading deteriorates as operators cannot easily reach the rollers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the holder carrying the upper group of rollers movable rather than fixed. The holder can be positioned at different heights along the frame, allowing operators to easily access the rollers for strip loading while still achieving maximum buffer capacity when the holder is positioned at the top of the frame.
2Ease of operation
If the lower group of rollers is moved all the way up to the upper group to minimize buffer capacity for loading, then the ergonomics improves, but the buffer capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by making the upper holder movable instead of the lower holder. This allows the buffer capacity to be dynamically adjusted by positioning the upper holder at appropriate distances from the lower holder, while always maintaining easy access for operators since the upper holder can be brought down during loading operations.
3Reliability
If a liner is added to strengthen the strip during transport, then the strip deformation is prevented, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of using a liner with a synchronized drive system. Each roller is equipped with a drive mechanism controlled by controllers that receive feedback from sensors detecting strip position and tension, allowing the rollers to actively compensate for strip deformation without requiring a physical liner.
4Productivity
If the rollers are driven at high speed to increase productivity, then the output increases, but the tensile forces in the strip increase causing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control where sensors detect the position and tension state of the strip in real-time, and this information is fed to controllers that adjust the rotation speed of each roller accordingly. This allows the system to maintain high productivity while preventing excessive tensile forces that would cause strip deformation.
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 enhances the ergonomics of strip loading, reduces the risk of strip deformation, and allows for the use of fragile strips without a liner, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective buffering process.
Implementation Method 1
The drive element extends or travels along the buffer path of the strip and more or less behaves in the same manner as the strip, the speed at which each buffer roller of the first set of buffer rollers and the second set of buffer rollers is driven can be kept equal or substantially equal to the speed of the strip at the respective buffer roller
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a festooner and a method for buffering a strip, wherein the festooner includes a first holder and a second holder which are oppositely movable towards and away from each other in a buffer direction to vary a buffer capacity of the festooner, and a first set of buffer rollers and a second set of buffer rollers held by the first holder and the second holder, respectively, wherein the first set of buffer rollers and the second set of buffer rollers define a meandering buffer path between them. The festooner further includes an endless drive element for driving each buffer roller, wherein the festooner further includes an overlength collector for collecting and paying out an overlength of the endless drive element.