Helical Tape Application Device with External Suction Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tape application devices have complex constructions that restrict the speed of unwinding tape from a roll and winding it onto a tube, leading to inefficient tape application processes.
Innovation Solution
A simplified tape application device design that supports the tape roll only externally with suction cups, allowing for higher-speed tape extraction from the inside of the roll and helical winding onto a tube without internal support rolls, utilizing guide means and control mechanisms to maintain the desired helical shape and speed adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If support rolls are used inside the tape roll to facilitate unwinding, then the tape can be unwound from the roll, but the construction becomes complex and the unwinding speed is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the internal support rolls from the system entirely. Instead of having rolls inside the tape roll to facilitate unwinding, the invention uses external support means (suction cups) to hold only the outer surface of the roll, allowing the tape to be pulled from the inside without any internal support structures. This extraction of the problematic internal support rolls simplifies construction while enabling higher unwinding speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs suction cups (pneumatic elements) as the support means to hold the tape roll externally. The suction cups create a vacuum grip on the outer surface of the roll, providing secure support without internal mechanical structures. This pneumatic approach replaces the complex mechanical internal support rolls with a simpler external atmospheric pressure-based system.
2Productivity
If the roll is rotated at high speed to pull tape from the inside, then faster tape application is achieved, but the inside diameter of the roll increases requiring continuous speed adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic speed adjustment of the roll rotation. As the tape is unwound, the inside diameter of the roll increases, which naturally changes the rotational speed relationship between the roll and the tape feed. The system continuously adjusts the roll's rotational speed to maintain proper tape tension and helical winding geometry despite the changing roll dimensions. This dynamic control enables sustained high-speed operation while adapting to the evolving roll characteristics.
3Productivity
If guide means are added to guide the tape from the inside of the roll to the outside of the tube, then the tape application process is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces guide means as an intermediary element between the tape roll and the tube. These guides facilitate the transition of the tape from the internal cavity of the rotating roll to the external surface of the tube, ensuring proper tape orientation and preventing tangling. The guide means act as a mediator that simplifies the tape path management despite the high-speed rotational extraction, improving application efficiency without requiring complex multi-component systems.
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
Enables faster tape application with reduced resistance and a more straightforward construction, allowing for efficient helical winding and secure fastening of the tape onto the tube, while maintaining control over the winding process to achieve the desired helical shape.
Implementation Method 1
The support means preferably comprise suction cups
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A tape application device (1) comprises a tube holder (9), a roll retainer (11), guide means (35) for guiding a tape (3) from the inside (7a) of a roll (7) to the outside of a tube (5) and displacement means for rotating around an imaginary axis and translating in the direction of the imaginary axis the tube holder, roll retainer and guide means relative to each other, such that the tape is pulled out of the roll on the inside and is helically wound on the outside of the tube. The roll retainer (11) has support means (26) which support the roll only on the outside, which support means are formed by suction cups (27). The guide means (35) are formed by a resilient helical tape guide (37) which, during operation, resiliently pushes with one end (37a) against the inside (7a) of the roll (7) and with the other end (7b) is present close to the tube (5).