Lid Shaping Device Using Annular Coil Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lid shaping devices for sealed containers with slim mouths struggle to maintain a gap-free appearance between the container mouth and the lid skirt, leading to an unpleasant appearance due to the lid skirt widening, especially when the container diameter is smaller than the lid bore.
Innovation Solution
A lid shaping device utilizing a two-step motion with an annular coil spring to fold the lid skirt inward, ensuring a snug fit and maintaining a well-featured shape, which includes a cylindrical holder, an annular coil spring, a pusher, and a container mouth pressing mechanism to adjust the lid skirt diameter and position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the lid skirt is shaped using conventional single-step caulking methods, then the shaping process is simple, but the lid skirt widens and creates gaps between the container mouth and lid skirt, resulting in an unpleasant appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The lid skirt shaping process is divided into two distinct steps: first caulking the upper part of the lid skirt, then caulking the lower part. This segmentation allows each step to focus on a specific portion of the lid skirt, preventing the widening that occurs in single-step methods and ensuring a gap-free appearance at the container mouth.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper part of the lid skirt is caulked first as a preliminary action before caulking the lower part. This preliminary shaping of the upper section establishes the correct geometry early in the process, preventing subsequent widening and ensuring the lid skirt maintains its shape throughout the remaining processing steps.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the lid material includes an aluminum foil layer for excellent moldability and shape retainability, then the lid achieves superior shape retention, but metal detectors cannot be used to inspect the container and separate collection is required, leading to poor recyclability
Solution Approach 1:
The lid material composition is changed from an aluminum foil-based laminate to a synthetic resin-based material. This parameter change in material composition eliminates the metal content that prevents metal detector inspection and enables recyclability, while the synthetic resin properties provide sufficient shape retention for the lid's function.
3Length of moving object
If the container diameter is made smaller for slim container design, then the container achieves a compact and aesthetically pleasing appearance, but the lid skirt cannot be properly shaped to maintain a gap-free appearance at the container mouth
Solution Approach 1:
The lid skirt is divided into upper and lower sections for separate caulking operations. The upper part is caulked first to create the proper fit at the container mouth, followed by caulking of the lower part. This segmentation enables proper shaping even when the container diameter is reduced for a slim design.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper part of the lid skirt is caulked as a preliminary action before the lower part. This preliminary shaping ensures that the lid skirt maintains the correct geometry at the container mouth even when the container has a small diameter, preventing gaps and maintaining aesthetic appearance.
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 solution effectively prevents gaps between the container mouth and the lid skirt, ensuring a pleasant appearance and reliable shaping of the lid skirt even for slim containers, maintaining a well-featured shape and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the sealed containers.
Implementation Method 1
an annular coil spring supported on a bottomed outer edge of the cylindrical holder and capable of expanding and contracting to caulk the lid skirt of the sealed container
Implementation Method 2
a tapered spring pressing inner circumferential surface inclining toward an upper center at its lower end that can reduce a diameter of the annular coil spring when lowering
Data Source
AI summary
The lid shaping device includes: container placing table 111; container lifter; lid shaping unit 112 including container mouth press 119, annular coil spring 123 arranged in a cylindrical holder, and pusher provided above the annular coil spring and having spring pressing inner circumferential surface 127; and pusher driver. The device operates in the order of first lifting by the container lifter until upper part or middle part of the lid skirt is located on the inner side of the annular coil spring, lowering of the pusher for lowering the container until the spring pressing inner circumferential surface reduces the diameter of the annular coil spring, and second lifting by the container lifter for lifting the container until the lower end of the lid skirt is located on the inner side of the annular coil spring.