Plastic Mesh Net Twisting Device with Heat-Conductive Thread Guide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices face challenges in evenly pre-heating plastic wires for twisting into honeycomb nets, leading to uneven shape and strength, and the threading operation is cumbersome and time-consuming, often resulting in deformation of the net.

Innovation Solution

A device with a heat-conductive thread guide, such as a pipe, connects thread-holes in the front and rear net twist mechanisms, ensuring even pre-heating of plastic wires and simplifying the threading process, while holding means maintain the honeycomb shape by shifting to prevent deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If plastic wires are pre-heated using a heater or through a heated air zone, then the wires become softer and easier to twist, but the pre-heating becomes uneven causing difficulty in twisting and weaving into uniform honeycomb net

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of twistingVSAvoiduniformity of honeycomb net
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating the plastic wires through heat-conductive thread guides before the twisting operation. The wires are heated in advance as they pass through the guides, ensuring they reach the appropriate temperature for twisting before the actual twisting process begins, which prevents uneven heating during operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses heat-conductive thread guides as intermediary elements between the heat source and the plastic wires. These guides conduct heat directly to the wires in a controlled manner, ensuring uniform heat distribution along the wire length without the need for direct exposure to heated air zones or contact heaters that cause uneven heating

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If plastic wires are threaded through individual thread-holes in semi-cut gears of front and rear net twist mechanisms, then the threading operation can be performed, but the operation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming with high risk of mistakes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethreading operationVSAvoidthreading time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the threading function into the heat-conductive thread guides themselves. Instead of requiring separate threading operations into individual gear thread-holes, the guides are designed to automatically guide and thread the wires through the necessary path from the rear mechanism to the front mechanism, combining multiple functions into a single integrated component

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat-conductive thread guides perform the threading operation automatically as the wires pass through them during normal operation. The system is designed so that the guides themselves facilitate the threading process without requiring manual intervention, making the system self-servicing in the threading operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Shape

If two plastic wires are twisted and then opened towards opposite sides to form honeycomb shape, then the net structure is created, but the twisted portion is strongly pulled causing deformation and inability to maintain even honeycomb shape

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehoneycomb shapeVSAvoidevenness of honeycomb net
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating the wires through the heat-conductive guides before twisting. This pre-heating ensures the wires are at the optimal temperature for twisting, creating a more stable twisted portion that can better withstand the subsequent opening and pulling forces without deforming

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the temperature parameter of the plastic wires by heating them through the heat-conductive thread guides. This temperature change modifies the physical properties of the wires, making them more pliable during twisting and more stable in the final honeycomb structure, preventing deformation when the wires are pulled apart to form the hexagonal cells

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 enables the production of strong, even, and durable plastic honeycomb nets with improved production efficiency and reduced maintenance, ensuring uniform shape and strength.

Implementation Method 1

two corresponding thread-holes provided in a front net twist mechanisms and a rear net twist auxiliary mechanism, respectively, are connected through a heat-conductive thread guide

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2513364B1Plastic open mesh net manufacturing device and machine
Publication Date: 2016.05.11 OFFICINE MACCAFERRI SPA
  • EP2513364B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2513364B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2513364B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A device for twisting plastic wires to form a plastic open mesh net comprises a front twist mechanism and a back twist mechanism which have corresponding pairs of front and back thread-holes for receiving plastic wires to be twisted. Each couple of a front thread-hole and a back thread-hole is connected by a corresponding heat-conductive thread guide, preferably in the form of a pipe, which provides a uniform heating of the plastic wire which is guided therein. A machine for manufacturing a plastic open mesh net comprises a holding device downstream of the twisting device to maintain a uniform shape of the just formed open mesh net.