Lateral Shrinking Agent Generator for Shrink Tunnel Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shrinking devices require significant energy to generate the shrinking medium and are difficult to maintain, as the heating registers are typically mounted on top of the shrink tunnel, making them inaccessible for maintenance and repair.
Innovation Solution
The shrinking device is designed with lateral shrinking agent introduction devices and generators, allowing for efficient energy use by heating the shrinking agent laterally and facilitating maintenance by making the generators easily accessible from the side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heating registers are mounted on top of the shrink tunnel to generate shrinking medium, then the shrinking function is achieved, but maintenance and repair become difficult due to inaccessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The heating registers are repositioned from a top-mounted configuration to a lateral configuration, changing the spatial dimension of access. This allows maintenance personnel to reach the heating registers from the side of the shrink tunnel rather than from above, significantly improving accessibility for maintenance and repair operations while maintaining the shrinking functionality.
2Reliability
If traditional shrinking device design is used, then shrinking capability is provided, but energy consumption is high due to inefficient heat utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes the natural rising motion of heated air (hot air buoyancy) to circulate the shrinking medium through the tunnel. The heating registers are positioned laterally to take advantage of this natural convection current, allowing the hot air to rise and flow through the shrink tunnel without requiring additional energy-intensive forced circulation systems, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective shrinking capability.
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 design reduces energy consumption by allowing the rising heat of the shrinking agent to be utilized directly, and simplifies maintenance by providing lateral access to the heating registers, reducing downtime and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
heating and/or accelerating a shrinking agent laterally of the conveyor line with at least one first shrinking agent generator arranged laterally of the conveyor line
Implementation Method 2
allowing the rising heat of the shrinking agent to be utilized directly
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a shrinking device (1) and a method for shrinking a shrink material (4) onto articles (5) at least partially wrapped with the shrink material (4). The shrinking device (1) comprises an interior space (2) with at least one conveyor line (3) for transporting articles (5) wrapped with shrink material (4), wherein the articles (5) wrapped with shrink material (4) are conveyed through the shrinking device (1) in a transport direction via a transport surface (6) along the conveyor line (3). The shrinking device (1) comprises at least two shrinking agent introduction devices (9) spaced apart from one another, which are designed to introduce shrinking agent (20) into the interior space (2) of the shrinking device (1) in the direction of the conveyor line (3).Furthermore, the shrinking device (1) comprises at least one first shrinking agent generator (13) for supplying at least one shrinking agent introduction device (9) with shrinking agent (20), which is arranged laterally of the conveyor line (3) and/or which is arranged within at least one shrinking agent introduction device (9).