Pocket Spring Feeding with Opposed Pusher and Channel Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spring feeding devices for producing pocket springs have long cycle times due to the pusher advancing the spring through a stationary channel, which affects the efficiency of forming strings of pocket springs for furniture.
Innovation Solution
A spring feeding device where both the feeding member and pusher are concurrently displaced in opposite directions, reducing the travel path of the pusher by half and enabling efficient operation with shorter cycle times and reduced construction space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pusher advances the spring through a stationary channel, then the spring is fed into the tube of pocket material, but the cycle time becomes undesirably long
Solution Approach 1:
The channel is transformed from a stationary structure to a dynamic one that can move relative to the pusher. The feeding member delimiting the channel is displaceable, allowing the channel to move in the opposite direction to the pusher during spring advancement. This dynamic configuration reduces the relative travel distance and enables faster cycle times.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of moving only the pusher forward through a stationary channel, the invention inverts the approach by moving both the pusher forward and the channel backward simultaneously. This opposite movement of the channel reduces the effective travel path of the pusher and accelerates the spring feeding process.
2Productivity
If the pusher advances the spring through a stationary channel, then the spring is fed into the tube of pocket material, but the construction space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding member is designed as a displaceable component rather than a fixed structure. This allows the channel to move dynamically during operation, reducing the overall space required for the spring feeding mechanism while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces relative motion in the longitudinal dimension between the pusher and channel, which effectively reduces the spatial footprint of the device. By utilizing bidirectional movement, the system achieves compact construction space without compromising feeding efficiency.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A spring feeding device configured to feed a spring (9) comprises a feeding member (60) delimiting a channel (68), a pusher (70) configured to push the spring (9) along the channel (68) delimited by the feeding member (60), and a drive mechanism configured to displace both the feeding member (60) and the pusher (70) such that the feeding member (60) and the pusher (70) move in opposite directions (91, 92).