Foil Leaf Delivery Apparatus with Integrated Shearing and Folding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hair salons face inconvenience, inefficiency, and waste due to the need for multiple boxes of foil leaves of different dimensions, requiring a large inventory and immediate availability of smaller sizes for hair styling procedures.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method for delivering consecutive foil leaves of selected lengths severed from a supply of indeterminate length, with a unitary tab folded along the leading edge, using a frame with a supply station, delivery station, folding station, and shearing blade to facilitate immediate use by hair stylists.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If multiple boxes of foil leaves of different dimensions are maintained for immediate use, then the availability of foil leaves for hair styling procedures is ensured, but the inventory cost and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimmediate availability of foil leavesVSAvoidinventory management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single supply of foil of indeterminate length serves multiple functions by being capable of producing foil leaves of any required length through the shearing mechanism, eliminating the need for separate inventories of different sized foil leaves while ensuring immediate availability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple boxes of foil leaves of different dimensions are maintained, then various foil lengths can be provided for different styling needs, but the cost of maintaining inventory increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefoil length varietyVSAvoidinventory quantity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The indeterminate length of foil is segmented into specific lengths as needed through the shearing blade mechanism, allowing various foil lengths to be produced from a single continuous supply, thereby reducing inventory quantity while maintaining versatility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If individual foil leaves of different sizes are kept in inventory, then immediate use during styling operations is facilitated, but waste increases due to the need for multiple box types

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestyling operation efficiencyVSAvoidfoil waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The foil is pre-cut to indeterminate length and kept ready in a continuous supply, with the shearing mechanism pre-positioned to cut any required length on demand, eliminating the need to maintain multiple box types and reducing waste associated with having excess inventory of specific sizes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8142341B1Delivering foil leaves of selected lengths from an indeterminate length of foil

Publication Date: 2012.03.27 SALVESEN PETER W

AI summary

A method and apparatus deliver consecutive foil leaves for use by a hair stylist during the course of a hair styling procedure. Each leaf is of a selected length severed from a supply of foil of indeterminate length, with a unitary tab folded along a fold line extending across the leaf, adjacent a leading edge of the leaf. The foil preferably is drawn from a roll of foil and is advanced along a feed path to a delivery station, and a cutter and folder are moved across the feed path to sever the leaf from the indeterminate length of foil and establish the tab adjacent the leading edge of the leaf. In the preferred arrangement, the cutter and the folder are moved simultaneously along respective arcuate paths by pivotal movement about a common pivotal axis.