Grooved PVC Welding Plate for Bead Containment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for welding PVC profiled elements, such as window and door frames, result in non-uniform welding zones, excessive material melting, and the formation of a prominent welding bead, leading to waste, increased processing time, and the need for cumbersome and expensive finishing equipment.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the creation of grooves in the welding zones to contain the welding bead, eliminating the need for bead removal operations, and using a device with heating and milling tools to ensure precise alignment and melting, with recesses and protrusions on the welding plate enhancing adhesion and mechanical strength.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If traditional heating and pressing method is used to weld PVC profiled elements, then the welding zone achieves melting and joining, but excessive material melts forming an abundant bead that requires removal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding joint strengthVSAvoidmaterial waste
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The welding plate is segmented with multiple recesses (grooves) that divide the welding zone into controlled sections. Each recess captures excess melted material locally, preventing it from forming a continuous abundant bead that would require removal. This segmentation allows controlled melting while containing the excess material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The recesses in the welding plate act as intermediary structures between the heating element and the profiled elements. These recesses intercept and contain the excess melted material before it can form a problematic bead on the visible surface, serving as a mediator that captures the harmful excess material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If traditional welding method is used, then profiled elements are joined, but substantial time is required for subsequent bead removal and cleaning operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding operation speedVSAvoidfinishing operation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The recesses are pre-formed in the welding plate before the welding operation begins. This preliminary preparation of the welding surface ensures that during the welding process, excess material is automatically directed into and contained by the recesses, eliminating the need for subsequent bead removal operations and saving substantial time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The excess melted material, which traditionally forms a harmful bead requiring removal, is converted into a beneficial element by directing it into the recesses where it becomes contained and integrated into the joint structure. This transforms the harmful excess material into part of the welding process that eliminates finishing operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional welding equipment is used, then profiled elements can be welded, but cumbersome and expensive finishing machinery is required for bead removal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding process simplicityVSAvoidfinishing equipment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The welding plate integrates multiple functions into a single component: heating, pressing, and bead containment. The recesses are built into the welding plate itself, combining the finishing function directly with the welding operation, thereby eliminating the need for separate cumbersome finishing machinery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The welding plate with its integrated recesses performs the bead containment function automatically during the welding process itself. The system is self-sufficient, requiring no external finishing equipment, as the welding plate structure itself provides the bead management capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Stability of the object's composition

If uniform heating is applied to PVC profiled elements, then the entire surface melts, but this creates non-uniform welding zones and excessive bead formation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding zone uniformityVSAvoidbead formation
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The welding plate provides localized heating through its recessed structure. Different areas of the welding plate have different thermal characteristics - the recesses concentrate heat where needed while allowing excess material to be contained. This local differentiation of heating quality creates uniform welding zones without excessive bead formation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

This approach reduces material waste, simplifies the welding process, eliminates the need for additional finishing operations, and increases the mechanical strength of the welded joints by maintaining the welding bead within the grooves, resulting in a more efficient and aesthetically pleasing outcome.

Implementation Method 1

the melting is done by heating the portions to be connected using suitable electric heating plates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

heating the portions to be connected using suitable electric heating plates and then pressing the heated portions the one against the other to favor melting

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Implementation Method 3

a groove is made in correspondence to at least one zone to be welded (4) of the profiled elements (3) by means of a removal operation (milling, melting, chamfering, etc.)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Data Source

PatentEP3141374B1Method for welding profiled elements in plastic material, in particular PVC
Publication Date: 2018.11.28 GRAF SYNERGY
  • EP3141374B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP3141374B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP3141374B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b

AI summary

The method for welding profiled elements in plastic material, in particular PVC, comprises the steps of: - preparing two profiled elements (3; 3a, 3b; 60, 61), arranged with respective zones to be welded (4; 62, 63) facing one another; - making a groove (19) in correspondence to at least one zone to be welded (4; 62, 63) of the profiled elements (3; 3a, 3b; 60, 61), the step of making the groove (19) being performed by means of a removal operation on a peripheral edge of at least one profiled element (3; 3a, 3b; 60, 61); - heating the zones to be welded (4; 62, 63); - coupling the zones to be welded (4; 62, 63) to one another, pressing the profiled elements (3; 3a, 3b; 60, 61) one against the other so as to keep the zones to be welded (4; 62, 63) in reciprocal contact; - the step of coupling the zones to be welded (4; 62, 63) comprising: - a sub-step of melting the zones to be welded (4; 62, 63) into one another in order to define a welding bead; - a sub-step of making a containing compartment (19a) defined by the groove (19), the welding bead being made internally of the containing compartment (19a); and - the step of arranging a containing presser (27) in correspondence to the containing compartment (19a) for preventing exit of the welding bead from the compartment itself.