Honeycomb Shade Manufacturing Adhesive Application Sequence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing honeycomb window shades require additional steps for adhesive curing and residue management, leading to inefficiencies and increased downtime for equipment cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus where the adhesive is applied downstream of the cutter, allowing for efficient formation of honeycomb structures without the need for pre-curing, using a continuous ribbon of material folded into preforms that are cut and stacked with airflow assistance for faster processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If adhesive is applied to the strip of material before cutting, then the cellular structure can be formed, but additional steps for chilling or heating are required to dry or cure the adhesive, increasing process time and equipment complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional sequence by applying adhesive downstream of the cutter rather than upstream. This reversal eliminates the need for adhesive curing steps before cutting, as the adhesive is applied to already-cut row members that are then stacked. The cutter operates on clean, dry material without adhesive residue, and the adhesive curing occurs only after stacking is complete.
2Ease of manufacture
If adhesive is applied before cutting, then the cellular structure can be formed, but adhesive residue accumulates on cutters and feed rollers, requiring frequent cleaning and maintenance downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the adhesive application step from the upstream processing sequence and relocates it downstream of the cutter. This separation removes the source of adhesive residue from the cutting and feeding operations. The cutter and feed rollers process only clean, dry material, eliminating adhesive contamination and the associated maintenance requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different width webs are used for different width window coverings, then various sizes can be produced, but the manufacturing process requires changing web widths, increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into distinct stages: cutting the continuous web into individual row members, then applying adhesive and stacking them. This segmentation allows the cutting operation to work with a standard continuous web width while the final product width is determined by the stacking configuration and row member dimensions, not by changing the input web width.
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 eliminates the need for adhesive curing steps, reduces downtime for equipment maintenance, and allows for greater flexibility in honeycomb structure design without adhesive residue issues on cutters and rollers.
Implementation Method 1
an airflow device, such as a vacuum or a blower be used to urge the row member into the stacker
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for making expandable honeycomb structures suitable for use as window coverings is provided. Material is fed to a folder and past a cutter. Adhesive is applied to the material downstream of the cutter and the material is cut to desired lengths. The cut strips of material are stacked with similarly formed strips to form the honeycomb structure.