Heat-shrink Device with Elevating Cylinder for Label Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat-shrink label devices face challenges in maintaining temperature stability due to external disturbances and require complex reconfiguration when handling different container or label types, leading to irregular shrinking and increased setup difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A heat-shrink device with a container-supporting mechanism, a heating cylinder, and an elevating system that controls the position and speed of the heating cylinder to ensure consistent heat application, using steam injection for heat-shrink labels, allowing for precise control of label shrinkage regardless of container or label variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a long rectangular parallelepiped heat-processing chamber with nozzles is used to heat shrink labels, then multiple containers can be processed simultaneously, but the temperature in the chamber becomes unstable when the number of containers or pitch widths vary, leading to irregular shrinking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the continuous heat-processing chamber into multiple independent heating zones, each equipped with its own heating elements and temperature control. This segmentation allows each zone to independently maintain stable temperature regardless of variations in container number or spacing, while collectively processing multiple containers simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements temperature sensors in each heating zone that continuously monitor temperature and provide feedback to the control system. The control system automatically adjusts heating power in real-time to compensate for temperature deviations caused by variations in container loading, ensuring stable temperature and uniform shrinking.
2Device complexity
If the positions of nozzles are fixed to heat shrink labels, then the structure is simple, but when the type of container or label is changed, it is necessary to change the positions of the nozzles, making the initial setting troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces fixed nozzle positions with movable or adjustable heating elements that can be dynamically repositioned along the processing chamber. This allows the heating zones to adapt to different container heights and label positions without requiring complete structural reconfiguration, maintaining simplicity while enhancing versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the heating zones with universal coverage capability, where each heating zone can independently adjust its heating pattern and position to accommodate various container types and label configurations. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for dedicated nozzle positions for each container type.
3Reliability
If bottles are individually processed in a closed space with pressure reduction, then the process is not affected by variations in the number of containers discharged, but it cannot cope with changes in the types of containers and labels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the stability of individual processing with the versatility of adjustable heating zones. Each container is processed in its own heating zone with controlled atmosphere, while the heating zones themselves are dynamically adjustable to accommodate different container types and label configurations, achieving both stability and adaptability.
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 device effectively stabilizes heat-shrink processes, coping with different lots and minimizing disturbances, enabling efficient and uniform label shrinkage with reduced setup complexity.
Implementation Method 1
the heating means includes an injection nozzle that injects steam inside of the heating cylinder, and a steam supply means that supplies steam to the injection nozzle
Implementation Method 2
heating the inside of the heating cylinder
Implementation Method 3
causing heat shrinkage to a heat shrinkable label covering a container
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
A heat-shrink device for a heat-shrink label includes a container-supporting means for supporting a container provided with a heat-shrink label; a heating cylinder arranged below the container-supporting means and capable of accommodating a container supported by the container-supporting means; a heating means for heating the inside of the heating cylinder; an elevating means for relatively raising and lowering the container-supporting means and the heating cylinder; and a control means for controlling the elevating means. The control means relatively raises and lowers the container-supporting means and the heating cylinder so that the bottom of the container is inserted from the upper end of the heating cylinder by the elevating means, and thereby the container is positioned in the heating cylinder for a predetermined time by controlling the speed of the elevating means to heat shrink the label provided on the container.