Metal Strip Feeding Apparatus with Side Guide Portions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional feeding apparatuses for heat exchanger fin manufacturing result in poor conveying precision of metal strips with cutaway portions, leading to skewing during the processing of flattened tube fins before they are cut into predetermined lengths.
Innovation Solution
A feeding apparatus with a reference plate, moving bodies, feed pins that advance into cutaway portions, and guide portions that contact the side surface opposite the openings of the cutaway portions to guide the metal strip, preventing skewing and ensuring precise conveyance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If feed pins are inserted into cutaway portions to convey the metal strip, then the metal strip can be conveyed in the conveying direction, but the conveying precision deteriorates and skewing occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Guide portions are introduced as intermediary elements that contact the side surfaces of the metal strip to prevent skewing during conveyance. These guide portions act as mediators between the feed pins and the metal strip, ensuring the strip is conveyed accurately without direct reliance on feed pins inserting into cutaway portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from relying solely on vertical insertion (one dimension) of feed pins into cutaway portions to a two-dimensional approach that includes both vertical feed pin insertion and horizontal side surface contact through guide portions. This dimensional expansion enables precise conveyance by controlling both the position and orientation of the metal strip.
2Productivity
If feed pins protrude from moving bodies to insert into through-holes, then the metal strip can be pulled for conveyance, but skewing occurs due to lack of lateral guidance
Solution Approach 1:
Guide portions serve as intermediary elements that provide lateral guidance to the metal strip during conveyance. By contacting the side surfaces of the strip, these guide portions prevent skewing and maintain alignment stability while the feed pins continue to pull the strip for efficient conveyance.
Solution Approach 2:
The feed pin structure is segmented into distinct functional portions: feed portions that insert into cutaway portions for pulling the strip, and guide portions that contact side surfaces for lateral guidance. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function independently, achieving both efficient conveyance and stable alignment.
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 skewing and ensures reliable conveyance of metal strips for flattened tube fins by using guide portions to stabilize the metal strip during the conveying process, maintaining precision and preventing deformation.
Implementation Method 1
A spring 17 that is an energizing means is disposed between the flange portion 33 and the upper surface of the enlarged diameter portion 29. Via the flange portion 33, this spring 17 energizes the feed pin 32 so as to be normally pressed downward.
Implementation Method 2
A plate cam 74 is disposed so as to contact the protruding lower end portions of the feed pins 32. When the lower end portion of a feed pin 32 contacts the plate cam 74, the feed pin 32 compresses the spring 17 and the upper end portion of the feed pin 32 rises
Implementation Method 3
When the moving bodies 30 are moved in the conveying direction A in this state, the feed pins 32 pull the metal strip 11 so as to convey the metal strip 11.
Data Source
AI summary
A feeding apparatus feeds a metal strip with cutaway portions in a conveying direction and includes: a reference plate on which the metal strip is placed and in which a slit is formed; moving bodies that are provided below the reference plate and are moved by driving means parallel to the reference plate in the conveying direction; feed pins that advance into the cutaway portions, are provided on the moving bodies so as to move up and down with respect to the reference plate, and pull the metal strip in the conveying direction when the moving bodies move; and at least one guide portion that contacts a side surface on an opposite side of the metal strip to the cutaway portions and guides conveyance of the metal strip.