Modular Elevator Bucket Mold With Interchangeable Inserts

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for producing low-profile elevator buckets are time-consuming and wasteful, as they require machining standard buckets, and using separate molds for different sizes is expensive and inefficient, with high costs for mold changes and storage.

Innovation Solution

A modular elevator bucket mold system with a common recess and interchangeable inserts allows for the formation of both standard and low-profile bucket shapes using the same mold, reducing material waste and production costs by reconfiguring the mold to create different bucket profiles without the need for multiple molds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If standard buckets are machined down to create low-profile buckets, then low-profile buckets can be produced, but production time increases and material is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebucket profile varietyVSAvoidproduction efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The mold is divided into a common recess and interchangeable inserts. Each insert represents a separate segment that can be swapped to create different bucket profiles. This segmentation allows the mold to produce both standard and low-profile buckets without machining, eliminating material waste and reducing production time while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The common recess is designed to work with multiple different inserts, making it a universal base that can produce various bucket types. By keeping the common recess and only changing the inserts, the system achieves multi-functionality - producing both standard and low-profile buckets from a single mold assembly, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate molds are used for standard and low-profile buckets, then different bucket profiles can be produced, but mold change costs and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebucket profile varietyVSAvoidmold system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the common recess with multiple inserts into a single integrated mold system. Instead of maintaining separate complete molds for standard and low-profile buckets, the common recess serves as a shared foundation that combines with different inserts to produce various profiles. This merging reduces the total number of molds needed, lowering storage requirements and simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining the ability to produce different bucket types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The common recess is designed as a universal component that can accommodate multiple different inserts. This universality allows a single common recess to replace multiple specialized molds, reducing mold change costs and storage requirements. The system achieves adaptability for producing both standard and low-profile buckets without increasing device complexity, as the common recess provides a consistent interface for all inserts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If standard buckets are machined to create low-profile buckets, then low-profile buckets can be produced, but production costs increase due to time and material waste

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebucket profile varietyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The mold is segmented into a common recess and interchangeable inserts, allowing low-profile buckets to be produced directly through molding rather than machining. This eliminates material waste and reduces production time, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining the ability to produce both standard and low-profile buckets with the same mold system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The common recess serves as a universal base that works with different inserts to produce both standard and low-profile buckets. This universality eliminates the need for separate machining operations for different profiles, reducing production time and material waste, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining adaptability for producing various bucket types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9278468B2Elevator buckets and methods of making such buckets

Publication Date: 2016.03.08 T F & J H BRAIME HLDG

AI summary

An elevator bucket mold combination comprising a common recess and two inserts, namely a first insert and a second insert, separately associable as required with the common recess using respective reciprocal couplings to the common recess without the other, a first insert defining a first bucket mold shape with the common recess while when the second insert is associated with the common recess only a desired part of the first bucket mold shape is provided as a second bucket mold shape.