Piping Bag Preparation Using Continuous Web Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preparing piping bags for pre-filling are time-consuming and result in material waste due to the need for sequential separation and handling, leading to increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a thin-walled polymer tube with a severance mark allowing for simultaneous positioning of openable portions in the same direction, enabling efficient separation and pre-filling of two bags at once, along with a device using gripping and rotating rollers to facilitate this process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If one piping bag at a time is separated from the continuous web and filled sequentially, then the filling operation can be completed, but the process becomes time-consuming and reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple piping bags into a single continuous web structure where multiple bags are joined together. This allows multiple bags to be positioned and filled simultaneously in parallel, rather than handling them one at a time sequentially, thereby increasing productivity and reducing preparation time
Solution Approach 2:
The piping bags are pre-positioned and pre-oriented on the continuous web before filling occurs. The openable portions are arranged in advance to point in the same direction, so that when the web is activated, multiple bags can be filled immediately without individual preparation time for each bag
2Reliability
If the first ends are melted or welded to the retaining means and subsequently cut off, then the package blanks can be fastened securely, but substantial material waste occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the unnecessary retaining means and the material waste associated with melting, welding, and cutting off the first ends. Instead, the continuous web is designed to be separable at predetermined separation marks, allowing package blanks to be fastened securely without the need for destructive attachment methods that consume material
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows for clean separation at predetermined marks without the need to discard excess material from welding or cutting operations. The continuous web can be separated into individual bags or sets with minimal material loss, recovering otherwise wasted material
3Productivity
If multiple piping bags are positioned and filled simultaneously, then productivity increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous web is segmented into multiple piping bags with predetermined separation marks. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple bags simultaneously while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, as each bag can be separated and filled independently through the same basic mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The filling device is designed to handle the continuous web configuration universally, accommodating multiple bags in various arrangements. The same basic filling mechanism can process different numbers and types of bags by simply adjusting the web configuration, avoiding the need for complex dedicated mechanisms for each bag
Data Source
AI summary
A method for preparing a piping bag for pre-filling, the set comprising, a thin walled polymer tube, and at least one severance mark extending across the entire width of the polymer tube, partitioning the set into two separable piping bags having a respective openable portion, said openable portions pointing in substantially opposite directions, as seen in a longitudinal direction of the set. The method comprises gripping the set at or near the respective openable portion, positioning the openable portions to point in substantially the same direction, and separating the piping bags from each other along the severance mark.