Multi-pan Insertion Tool for Cosmetics Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual loading of small pans into a mold in the cosmetics industry is time-consuming and prone to causing injuries due to repetitive movements, limiting throughput and leading to occupational issues.
Innovation Solution
A multi-pan insertion tool with a control plate and interface plate that uses vacuum suction to pick up and load multiple pans simultaneously into a press, featuring protrusion sites matching various pan shapes and sizes, allowing for efficient and safe handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual loading of pans is used, then alignment and orientation can be ensured, but throughput is limited and operator injuries occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical loading system with an automated vacuum-based loading system. The vacuum loading tool uses suction forces through protrusion sites to automatically pick up and position multiple pans simultaneously, eliminating the need for manual handling and repetitive operator actions that cause injuries while limiting throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles by using vacuum suction forces to grasp and transport multiple pans. The vacuum loading tool creates negative pressure through air channels connected to protrusion sites, allowing simultaneous pickup of multiple pans and their automatic placement into the press, thereby increasing productivity without compromising operator safety.
2Productivity
If multiple pans are loaded simultaneously, then throughput increases, but precise alignment and orientation become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual alignment mechanisms with an automated vacuum positioning system. The protrusion sites are specifically designed to engage with pans at predetermined locations, automatically orienting and aligning multiple pans simultaneously as they are suctioned onto the loading tool, ensuring precise positioning without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring the protrusion sites on the loading tool to match the dimensions and positions of the pans. This pre-established geometric correspondence ensures that when vacuum is applied, the pans are automatically aligned and oriented correctly before being transferred to the press, maintaining manufacturing precision while loading multiple pans simultaneously.
3Ease of operation
If vacuum suction is used to hold pans, then handling safety improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the loading tool into modular components: a control plate with air channels, an interface plate with protrusion sites, and a vacuum source. This segmented design allows the complex vacuum system to be broken into manageable parts, where each component performs a specific function, making the overall system easier to understand and maintain while providing safe pan handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing the vacuum loading tool to handle multiple pans simultaneously through a single integrated system. The air channels and protrusion sites work together as a multi-functional assembly that can grasp, hold, transport, and position multiple pans in one operation, reducing the need for separate handling mechanisms and simplifying the overall device structure.
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 tool significantly reduces manual labor and associated injuries by enabling the simultaneous pickup and loading of multiple pans, enhancing production throughput and safety by using vacuum suction to securely hold pans during transfer.
Implementation Method 1
an air pump coupled to the air valve that is configured to pump air away from the cavity to create a vacuum suction in the cavity
Data Source
AI summary
In the manufacture of certain cosmetics packaging, small metal pans are used to carry the cosmetic material, and these are incorporated in cosmetics carriers. The cosmetic material is initially in a powder form that is compressed into the pan prior to the pan being assembled into a carrier A multi-pan insertion tool includes a control plate and one or more interface plates that can, in turn, be attached to the control plate. Each interface plate corresponds to a different pan configuration. The interface plate includes a plurality of protrusion sites that each correspond to a single pan. An air passage from each protrusion site passes through the tool to the valve on the control plate that is controlled by an operator (either open or closed). A vacuum hose is attached to the valve to create the necessary vacuum/suction. The operator can then use the tool to pick up multiple pans at once, using suction, and then deposit the pans into a press for powder loading and then compression of the powder.