Material Bag Flexible Tabs for Automated Clamping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional material bags with irregularly folded sleeves present inconsistent openings, making it difficult for automatic machinery to stably clamp the sleeve onto a filling cylinder, resulting in manual labor-intensive filling processes.

Innovation Solution

The material bag features flexible tabs around the sleeve opening that can be independently flipped to form force-bearing surfaces, allowing a mechanically movable clamping device to securely clamp and connect the sleeve to a filling cylinder, enabling automatic filling and packaging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the sleeve is folded irregularly to reduce space, then the space occupation is reduced, but the opening shape becomes inconsistent making automated clamping difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace occupationVSAvoidopening shape consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The opening periphery is segmented into multiple independent tabs instead of a continuous flexible edge. Each tab can be independently formed and positioned, ensuring consistent opening geometry even when the sleeve is folded irregularly for compact storage. This segmentation allows the opening to maintain its shape while the rest of the sleeve occupies minimal space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual fitting is used to accommodate irregular sleeves, then adaptability is improved, but labor cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to irregular foldingVSAvoidlabor cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The tabs are designed to automatically form force-bearing faces that can be reliably clamped by automated devices. The structure itself provides the necessary geometric features (flat surfaces, consistent positioning) that enable automated clamping without requiring manual adjustment or intervention, thus achieving both adaptability and automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If a clamping device is designed for consistent openings, then clamping stability is improved, but it cannot handle irregularly folded sleeves

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclamping stabilityVSAvoidcompatibility with folded state

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The tabs are pre-formed on the periphery of the opening before the sleeve is folded for storage. This preliminary formation of geometric features ensures that when the sleeve is later unfolded and used, the opening already has the correct shape and position for stable clamping, regardless of how irregularly it was folded during storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11167888B2Material bag

Publication Date: 2021.11.09 HON BOUW

AI summary

A material bag includes a bag body and a sleeve on the bag body. A periphery of an opening of the sleeve is provided with a plurality of flexible tabs. An interval is defined between every two of the tabs. The tabs are separated from each other by the interval and connected to the periphery of the opening of the sleeve, so they can be independently flipped to form force-bearing faces to be clamped by a clamping device. When the folded material bag is used for powder/particle material packaging, the clamping device will act on the tabs for clamping the sleeve of the material bag. The clamping device can complete the transfer of the material bag and the connection between the sleeve of the material bag and a filling cylinder.