Non-Circular Pin Extractor for Foam Cushioning Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cushioning technologies in various products, such as athletic apparel and protective gear, face challenges in effectively attenuating impact forces while providing breathability, flexibility, and launderability, and often require complex manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using a die and extractor with non-circular short-axis cross-sectional pins to cut and secure polymer foam pad components between first and second material layers, allowing for thermal bonding and ensuring minimal rotation of the pad components during manufacturing, thus creating a cushioning element with improved impact attenuation, breathability, and ease of laundering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a die and extractor with non-circular short-axis cross-sectional pins are used to cut and secure polymer foam pad components, then manufacturing precision and stability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The extractor is divided into multiple pins, each with a non-circular short-axis cross-sectional shape. Each pin independently secures a pad component during compression, allowing precise control over the shape and position of multiple pad components simultaneously. This segmentation enables complex geometry creation through repeated simple operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The pins are designed with non-circular short-axis cross-sectional shapes (such as rectangular, triangular, or hexagonal cross-sections) rather than circular cross-sections. This asymmetry prevents rotation of the pad components during compression and ensures precise alignment, thereby improving manufacturing precision for asymmetric pad shapes.
2Stability of the object's composition
If pad components are secured to pins with non-circular cross-sections during compression, then stability and anti-rotation are improved, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pins with non-circular cross-sections are pre-positioned in the extractor before the compression step. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when compression occurs, the pad components are immediately guided into the correct positions and orientations without requiring additional adjustment steps, thereby reducing overall manufacturing time despite the complex pin geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The non-circular cross-sectional shape of the pins creates inherent mechanical interference that prevents rotation of pad components during compression. This anti-rotation capability is built into the pin geometry itself, eliminating the need for separate alignment or positioning steps and reducing the time required to achieve stable pad component placement.
3Manufacturing precision
If polymer foam material is compressed between die and extractor, then pad component formation is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compression process is divided into multiple localized compression zones, with each pin creating a discrete compression region on the polymer foam material. This segmentation allows controlled compression of individual pad components with uniform density, while the overall energy input is distributed across multiple smaller compression events rather than one large compression, improving energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Each pin with its non-circular cross-section creates a localized compression zone with specific density characteristics. The local geometry of each pin ensures uniform density distribution within each pad component, while the overall energy consumption is optimized by concentrating compression force precisely where needed rather than applying it broadly.
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
This approach results in cushioning elements that effectively attenuate impact forces, provide breathability, flexibility, and maintain a low overall mass, while being easy to launder, and can be integrated into a wide range of products, including apparel and equipment, enhancing protection and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
compressing the polymer foam material between the die and the extractor, the die elements cutting the polymer material to form a plurality of pad components
Implementation Method 2
the pins extending into the pad components; separating the die and the extractor, the pad components being secured to the pins
Implementation Method 3
bonding the pad components to (a) a first material layer with the extractor and (b) a second material layer
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for manufacturing a cushioning element may include securing a plurality of pad components to pins that extend outward from a base, each of the pins having a non-circular short-axis cross-sectional shape. The pad components are then compressed between the base and a material layer to bond the pad components to the material layer. In some configurations, the pins may have an elongate short-axis cross- sectional shape. In some configurations, the pins may have an elliptical short-axis cross-sectional shape. Additionally, in some configurations, the pins may have a short- axis cross-sectional shape selected from triangular, square, rectangular, hexagonal, and semi-circular.